


Slave to You

by phoenix220



Category: Bleach
Genre: Alternate Universe - Slavery, M/M, Nobility, Rape/Non-con Elements, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-23
Updated: 2014-07-23
Packaged: 2018-02-10 02:30:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 83,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2007642
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phoenix220/pseuds/phoenix220
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a world where slavery is the norm and the nobility reigns supreme, one slave has to adapt to his new master, one who doesn't follow the rules of society.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own any recognisable characters, just the plot and i hope anyone who reads it enjoys it as much as i've enjoyed writing it.

Chapter One

Iron, dust and blood.

Eventually the three smells congealed in nostrils till they were indistinguishable from each other. Only the tang of blood on the tongue stood out to those unfortunate enough to draw attention to themselves in the pit.

One such unfortunate huddled in his cage, left arm clutched to his chest as his chest heaved. Just dragged back to the pit and thrown into the barred room, the man had not even caught his breath from his latest bout let alone deal with any of his wounds. At least he was still alive to feel the pain. It seemed the only way to escape the pain was death, and yet every time he fought for his life, he won.

He leaned his head back against the grimy wall he closed his eyes, flooding his senses with the reek of the pit. Cerulean eyes, slightly bloodshot from the choke hold he'd had to break, took in his present home, from the twenty-four other cages lining the pathway to the closed doors to the left and the right at either end. One led to the arena, near certain death, the other to the main household. The man knew the household fairly well, having lived as a house slave for a month or so until his master had thrown him here, to fight for the entertainment of the master's friends.

He had just dropped a decanter, something they should have never assigned him to, shattering the precious crystal and ruining the expensive brandy as well as the rug under him. Having a powerfully build man with large clumsy hands do butler's work was idiocy, but the master had taken a fancy to him, and had insisted on being waited on while the man was half-dressed. The fact that the master had been attempting to grope the slave at the time had no impact on the severity of the punishment – imprisonment in the arena fighting for his life.

This bout of contests was to run for three days, one left and the slave knew he had to fix his shoulder as soon as possible to allow the swelling to go down. He couldn't fight properly with a dislocation and he would be fighting the next day, this time possibly for the last time. This time he was going to accept his fate, end these two years of torture and pain. Tomorrow was the day he was going to die.

_iiiiiiiii_

Ichigo hated these events. He just wanted to leave but it was  _expected_  for him to attend. And Ichigo was every bit the lord his title insisted he be, even if he hated every moment of it. Lord Kurosaki, Master of North Ridge and nephew to the current liege Master of the Lands was a long list of hefty titles for any shoulders to bear let alone the narrow, slim one's of the young man. Running his hand through his bright hair Ichigo mentally prepared himself as the carriage passed the entrance gate. Baron Tousen, a lesser noble, but one to which invitations cannot be ignored – had many friends and probably not a few enemies but all stood shoulder to shoulder when the man threw his Blood parties. Red wine flowed as fast as the blood in the sands of the man's own personal arena as the nobility drank both in equal measures, one with eyes the other with laughing mouths as men died for their amusements.

Lord Kurosaki abhorred the way his peers treated human beings deemed lesser because of some twist of birth. Ichigo knew many noble hearted men he was forced to call slaves because of his station, and he did his best to distance himself from the ignorant gentry by adopting a distant personality, and ensuring his reputation was known.

Feeling a hand on his arm he turned to the head of his household, Coyote Starrk who ran his hand down the master's arm and laced his fingers through the younger man's long digits. "We're here for you." Looking across from him he made eye contact with Nnoitra Jiruga, the tall gangly male grinning widely as usual, his violet eye gleaming in the low light. Tia Halibel, his house maid and nanny nudged at Ichigo's leg with her own, the leather boots she was wearing making a slight squeak against his own. The blond smiled kindly, knowing how much her master hated witnessing the cruelty of his supposed friends, running her hand through the pale green strands of the master's young niece, the child currently sleeping, resting her head on Tia's knee.

The car came to a stop, the driver Zommari Rureaux opening the door silently and standing in wait. Nniotra left the car first, scanning to the sides to secure the area for his master, even though they were on the grounds of a fellow noble. Nniotra held a hand out for Tia, helping the woman out of the car with the child in her arms. Only then did Ichigo stand, face instantly falling into its characteristic scowl. Zommari gripped the master's elbow, squeezing to convey comfort as the young lord passed him. Starrk left the car last, lifting the leather folder he maintained his master's business with as he exited. Nodding at the tall black driver as he passed, the other knowing to drive the car to the garage before joining the other visiting slaves in the lower arena. Because of their master's position, they were all guaranteed seating at such events, but only Zommari would be using them, Tia needed for the child, Nnoitra being Ichigo's security and Starrk was ever present at Ichigo's elbow, should he be needed.

Ichigo mounted the stairs to the vast house, the main building branching out to two wings, left and right both surrounding the circular arena that the host had built five years ago. He had insisted it was too much hassle to travel to the city with all of his fighters. And it meant his fights could bend the strict rules usually imposed. Ichigo refused to own a fighter, knowing he'd be expected to enter the man in the bouts, possibly ending the man's life for sport and he couldn't. No one outside of his house hold knew of his close relationship with what should be his understaff and the household all cared too much for their master to risk their livelihoods and his.

Starrk was, as always two steps behind and to his left, and just the slight turn of his head brought the man to his master's shoulder.

"Make sure my niece isn't distraught by any of the proceedings. I want to know if she is upset in any way." Ichigo didn't speak above a whisper, and didn't look at the man but Starrk got the message loud and clear, this week's excuse for an early escape finally clearing up the reason for the young girl's presence. The girl would most likely sleep through the entire event.

"Ichigo!"

The Lord stopped and turned, his entourage stopping in turn, all maintaining their positions and distances. The façade of impeccably trained slaves had to be maintained at all times in public, the reputation their master cultivated had other slaves afraid of them, and their master, rumours of public beatings and abhorrent living conditions had many scared to end up with him. Ichigo had personally rescued all of his slaves and gained their trust enough to have the group he needed, one shy at that moment due to one of his previous aides leaving with his blessing to escape the country with his partner. Ichigo had helped the young slave get his girl and got them both out with the help of his adopted father.

Red hair, not as bright as his own but much longer filled his vision as his arms were filled by a slim young girl. Orihime Inoue was the daughter of a Countess, currently untitled but given all the privileges of her mother's title until she secured a marriage of equal or greater rank. She was a sweet girl, and Ichigo had known her for years but the girl did look at him like they were engaged at times and it made him uneasy.

"Inoue, you are looking beautiful, as always." He stepped back, holding just her hand and bowed over it, just slightly, as due her lower rank. The girl held her deep blue gown to the side slightly, dipping into a low, graceful curtsy, head nearly at the level of their hands. Ichigo supported her hand, allowing her to use him to rise to her feet again to ensure she maintained her dignity; many of his peers enjoyed seeing the nobles' daughters wobble as they rose. She smiled gratefully; blush spreading across her cheeks as their eyes met. Ichigo's face didn't change; he just nodded his acknowledgement before letting go of her hand, clasping his together behind his back.

"Thank you My Lord, you are looking magnificent also."

Again Ichigo nodded before continuing his passage into the main room, joining the large group of slightly inebriated young nobles, loud voices greeting him as he entered. Ichigo unconsciously squared his shoulders, the charcoal suit jacket hugging his lithe figure perfectly, with the black on black fitted shirt and tie underneath concealing his body but not his figure. His slaves were similarly dressed, all in dark grey or black, Ichigo refusing to pander to trends and peacocking himself in bright colours. From his luminous hair to his fierce scowl, he was a sight in the monochrome group, his young niece being the only other splash of colour with her long green hair. Other's called to him as he entered, Renji Abari, a childhood rival turned some time friend was standing with his intended, Rukia Kuchiki, both dressed in the latest fashions, Renji's bright scarlet hair clashing ever so slightly with his fiancée's burgundy dress. Ichigo acknowledged the greetings silently, continuing on his target to greet his host, knowing the sooner that was over the sooner he could move on with the evening.

Kaname Tousen stood near the centre of the room, accompanied by his friends, Gin Ichimaru and Sousuke Aizen. Ichigo couldn't stand any of the three, for different reasons each but together made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. Especially the way Aizen travelled his eyes over his body. He had been caught in an uncomfortable position once with Aizen, and Ichigo was adamant it would never occur again. Gin was the only one what Ichigo felt comfortable in carrying on a conversation, even if the snake tongued man tended to mock him for the duration. At least he was up front about it, not carrying much of an agenda beyond the pleasure of watching another flush.

The three men turned as he approached, Gin and Aizen taller than him by a few inches while he had a couple on his host. Gin's trademark grin split his face as he mockingly bowed to the Lord, Aizen inclining his head and Tousen bowing also, each acting according to their ranks towards the other. Ichigo dropped to a slight bow, his response to the more senior member of the group only, as was expected. Ichigo could play the court rules, having been brought up in them his whole life. His formative years hadn't been spent with his birth parents and most of his current views of the gentry could be blamed on the pair that had raised him from then.

"Good of you to join us Lord Kurosaki, it has been too long since we spend any time together." Tousen looked towards him, opaque glasses hiding the man's eyes. Rumour had it that Tousen had been born blind, others claim he'd been blinded by a slave when he was young, giving him a less favourable than average disregard to their wellbeing. Either way it didn't put the man at any disadvantage to anyone with their full five senses, he knew who he was speaking to and exactly where they were at all times. It was one of the reasons Ichigo felt uncomfortable in his presence, the other being the man's clinical cruelty to his slaves.

"Good of you to invite me. I don't get out as much as I wish. I have brought my niece after the kind invitation to her also." Ichigo stepped slightly to the side, gesturing to his little niece still asleep in her nanny's arms. The four year old was still small enough to be held when sleeping, but not for much longer.

"Will you be entering a slave into the competition? It is nearly over, you joining us on the last day after all but we could put your competitor against one of the defeated, or he could take on the winner?"

"I'm afraid I have no fighters at the moment. I will enjoy the performance regardless." Ichigo inclined his head and made to leave.

"Don't run away Ichigo," The ease of the man using his given name made the young Kurosaki bristle. "How about you sponsor one of my fighters, I have three still in the competition. It would bring you into the game some."

"And if my man wins?" Ichigo had no intention of putting any money into these fights, especially since Tousen could easily rig it between two of his own.

"If the one you pick wins, you can take him for a fighter of your own."

"And if he loses?"

"Then you'll owe me a slave, to replace the dead one."

Ichigo glared in response, knowing that he was in trouble. If he agreed to this and lost, Tousen might insist on choosing from his current household, rather than the recompense of the slave. Not that Ichigo had to back down to what the man demanded, he did out rank him but Tousen had powerful friends, and no one got on the bad side of Aizen by choice.

"I will only agree to this with conditions. I get free choice, the three you are offering must be clearly shown and I must get time to choose. Second, I refuse to part with any of my current household, it takes too long to train them as it is, I will not start again with any of them. Third, the match is over when a man is unable to get up, not dead. I will not be part of a death match with my niece in sight."

Tousen seemed to consider his demands, Aizen speaking into his ear for a second as Gin smirked at him. "I can't see any problem with your demands, I will have one of my slaves ready the three and have them meet you in one of the prep rooms below. Is that satisfactory?"

Ichigo barely looked at him as he nodded, his mind whirling with how this situation could end, none of the scenarios were favourable.

Ichigo locked eyes with Tia as he turned, Starrk as always at his side. Nnoitra was visibly tense but the three followed him.

They followed an unnamed slave down the back stairs and out to the arena. Turning to the left after entering, they were shown into a small room, three seats present, one bed/table like the kind you would see in a doctor's surgery and a few cupboards on the walls. Ichigo sat in one of the seats, Tia taking the one furthest away, keeping the girl asleep.

After a few minutes, a bear of a man was dragged into the room, his arms nearly reached the floor as he walked and his hands were thick and meaty. Ichigo knew instantly that this man was not for him and after a seconds attentions, he dismissed him. The man was basically dragged out by two burly slaves. The second was shown in, a smaller fighter, wiry and clever looking. Ichigo was intrigued and gave the man a look over, standing to walk a step closer. The slave was suddenly nervous and backed away, not knowing what was going on. Ichigo signalled to the keepers that he would see the last, still not convinced.

He was still standing when the next slave walked in. Even in his fighters garb, a rough shirt of an indescribable beige and tighter shorts of a slightly darker shade, the man had a presence. He was tall, taller than Ichigo with bright blue cerulean hair. It was the matching eyes that captured the young master's attention however. They burned with cold fire, even after being a fighter for some time. Taking a closer look at him, Ichigo started to spot the scars and bruises on the fighter, the way he was favouring his left arm told him he'd been injured the day previous and was at a disadvantage.

Ichigo walked closer, keeping his face its scowling blank mask as he read the slave the best way he could. The man was scared, and tired. He was on the verge of giving up. The fire in his eyes was hope that he wasn't quite there yet, and Ichigo knew he had found his fighter, and hopefully his new member of the family.

"This one is now mine. You will release him to my slaves who will ready him for his bout." Ichigo spoke with the certainty of one that knew his commands would be followed the second they were uttered.

A set of keys were handed to Starrk along with a set of papers before the two men left them.

Ichigo glanced at the corners, knowing Starrk was watching his every move. His number one would know the signal for them being watched and not make a move out of turn. Starrk approached the new slave, his master still standing in front of him. The two men were locked at the eyes for a second, the slave trying to figure out what was going on while the master judged his latest acquisition.

"Slave," the tall blue haired man turned to him, obedient, but not happy about it. "You now belong to the Lord Kurosaki, you will fight for him, win for him and you will be part of his household, is that clear?"

The slave looked uncertain, glancing back at the young lord before looking at the head slave. He knew if he spoke out of turn it would come back on him.

Ichigo knew what the problem was, but let the slave sweat for a moment. "Speak slave."

"I understand." He winced as he spoke, his throat unused to speech.

"You master's reputation is riding on your performance. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

Ichigo turned his back, on the slave but in reality turning from the cameras. "Will you win this for me slave?"

_iiiiiiii_

The slave glanced back and forth between the two standing men in the room. He'd been dragged from his cage and taken through the household door, a move that shocked him to the core. Now shoved in the room, one that Deroy had just come from and faced with some teenaged lord with an attitude problem he was feeling his old self come back a bit.

When the young noble had faced off with him he'd been surprised to see an edge of compassion shining in the warm brown eyes. The boy was shorter than him by a few inches, skinny frame covered by a ridiculously expensive suit but his gaze was fierce and his house slaves certainly made up for his lack of physical presence. Leaning against a wall was one of the tallest men he'd ever seen, lean but dangerous looking. Just behind the noble was a brunette with an attitude, eyes on level with his own, when he spoke, he sounded bored.

He'd either been sold or traded to this kid, and now he expected him to win a fight for him? If he hadn't already been planning to throw the fight, this would have made his mind up.

Then the little stuck up brat turned his back on him, not even looking his way. A part of him missed the warmth in the other's eyes for a second, the first time someone had really  _looked_  at him in two years but then the deep voice asking him to win it for him?

A small voice spoke up from his side, drawing his attention to the previously ignored member in the room. Sitting on the lap of a gorgeous blond slave was a tiny person with long green hair. She rubbed sleepily at her eyes, blinking the big brown eyes widely as she looked at the stranger in the room.

"Uncle, who is this?"

The lord snapped his gaze to the little girl, looking vaguely horrified at her. "Tia, take her outside. I will meet you back in the main house."

Tia nodded quickly, wrapping her arms around the girl. The little one didn't like that, and squirmed free, stumbling to her feet, sleep still working its way out of her system. She leaned a hand out, as a child would to support herself, the closest solid thing being a bare knee to which she clung for a second.

Neliel was small for her age, and looking up to the man she leaned on required her to crane her head all the way back, landing her on her bottom at his feet. She didn't see the way her uncle's eyes widened at seeing her so close to a killing machine but she was distracted by the man's bright blue hair, a colour she hadn't seen on a person before.

"Is that your real hair colour?"

The man knelt down, offering her a hand to help her to her feet, which she took gladly, keeping hold of his hand afterwards. "Yes, my father had the same hair."

"It's really pretty."

The slave stared at the young girl; never having had contact with a child before, at least not since he was one himself. The slave looked up at his new master, suddenly afraid he'd be punished for is actions towards the man's child.

The young man was just looking puzzled, staring between the two. He held his hand out and the young girl ran to him, clutching his hand before he swept her up in his arms. He handed her to the blond nanny without a word and the two left the room with the tall man opening the door for them.

"You are very forward for a slave, is that why you ended up being a fighter?"

"I am what my master wishes me to be." The slave dropped his gaze to the floor, the flat response lacking all emotion.

"I wish you to win, does that mean you will?"

The slave looked uncertain, not sure how to respond.

"It is your choice. You win you become my slave. You lose you remain."

"If I lose, it will be because I have died."

"Again, that is a choice, do not think otherwise. Take off your shirt."

The slave's eyes widened and he backed away from the master, stopping only when he nearly fell onto the taller slave behind him.

The master's eyes rolled and he turned to his number one, gesturing towards his latest acquisition before stepping to the sink at the wall. He stripped off his jacket and rolled his black sleeves up before quickly washing his hands.

The slave watched the master's actions, still scared at the situation before the brunette approached him. He was drawn forward, both heading to the couch/bed thing. The man spoke very quietly to him, like he was trying to hide it from the others in the room.

"Master is a doctor; he wants to check your shoulder and other injuries before sending you to fight for him. Just know not everything is as it seems."

The blue haired slave looked around the room, seeing the grinning face of the taller slave eyeing him with his one visible eye, the other behind a patch. He winked the violet eye at him, gesturing for him to do as he was told. With some difficulty, his shoulder still stiff and sore, he struggled out of the rough shirt, perching on the bed. The master approached him from behind and grasped his injured shoulder, firmly, but not harshly. He ran his fingers along the joint, before pressing on his tricep to lift the limb straight to the front. Rotating it gently, he pulled it to the side, slowing at the quiet hiss from the injured man.

"I can't help you if I don't know what is wrong. Can you hold it there without help?" At the answering nod, Ichigo released his pressure, letting the man hold his limb. It stayed straight for a few seconds but started to droop. Ichigo resumed his grip, returning the limb to the front of the chest. This meant Ichigo had his arm wrapped round the man in front of him for a split second.

The slave was doing his best to control his breathing. The only time someone had touched him in years was to hurt him and the delicate touches and grips of the young man behind him were raising the skin into goose bumps. He wanted to lean back into the touch, just for a moment but he knew masters were cruel and he just wanted to ensure the slave was fit to fight for him.

"I am going to release some of the tension in the muscles ok? It is going to hurt at first, but it will give you greater movement. Lie on your front."

The slave did as he was told, still confused at the situation. Masters did not care for slaves. Just as he settled onto his front, before the young man touched him again, he lifted his head to look at him. The man knew he wanted to ask something and gestured for him to continue.

"Master, why are you caring for me? My Lord Tousen would have medics for this."

The man smirked at him, the first expression to cross the orange haired man's face in a while, it snapped back to its blank scowl quickly. "I'm sure  _Baron_  Tousen would have medics, but as you will be fighting his man, I didn't want to put him in a position of favouritism." Ichigo worded his statement carefully, not out rightly saying he didn't trust the man's medic. "And since I have no fighter, I have no medical staff with me besides myself. If you have a problem with it I will leave."

The slave widened his eyes, shaking his head empathically before lying flat. Warm, slightly damp hands grasped his shoulder, gently manipulating the muscles to release the tension. He avoided the bruised area, and the slave relaxed as the pain lessened in his body. The young lord had long fingers that could sense when to push and when to stroke and it made a maelstrom of emotions fly through the slave's body. It went against everything he had been programmed to believe about masters and slaves and he didn't trust it. When the hands left him, a different, larger set pulled him upright. The brunette looked at him, seeing the anguish in the man's face. He looked at his master who walked round, drying his newly washed hands and then rolling his sleeves down. After fixing one silver cufflink he met the cerulean eyes of the slave before him. The eyes were filled with emotion and one over spilled, letting a bead of salted water trail down his face, ghosting over the sharp cheekbones.

A crack sounded out in the room, shattering the moment as the master resumed fixing his clothing. The slap he had dealt to the slave had shocked all in the room to the core. "You are a fighter. You will fight."

The man snapped his now furious gaze onto his abuser, the warm brown eyes, seeming colder now. The slave knew he was kidding himself, expecting a master to care for a slave. The young man shrugged his perfectly tailored jacket on, buttoning the top button before leaving the room, Starrk following close behind.

The slave on the bed stared at the floor, not even willing to watch his new tormentor leave the room. He was furious, and his mind had come to a new conclusion, win the fight, kill the new master.

_iiiiiii_

Starrk hurried after his master, knowing the young man was tearing up on the inside. He had read his slave's worry, knowing he had been too kind, too quickly throwing the fighter's head and he'd remedied that by striking man. Starrk also knew the main reason for the hit was for the camera, knowing Tousen and probably Aizen had been watching and they would be questioning the noble's behaviour with the new slave. At least Ichigo had reasserted his reputation. Starrk had been on the receiving end of one of his master's strikes, as had they all in their effort to hide the master's true nature and he was the one nursing the bruise away at home. He was cut up about it for weeks afterward. It had been Starrk's idea in the first place.

Ichigo didn't stop until he reached the restroom, banging in and sitting on the fairly comfortable chair near the sinks. It was one of the few rooms accessible to the guests of the Baron that did not have surveillance and was a place they could be out of sight. Starrk turned the snib on the main door, ensuring their privacy before dropping the leather binder and wrapping his arms around the younger man, pressing his head into the hollow of his shoulder.

Ichigo knew better than to let his emotions get too hold of him, his colouring would not calm quickly if he got truly upset but it was a close thing. Other times he'd been forced to strike a slave, the victim knew he didn't mean it; the man in the pit would think he was just like all the rest.

"He's planning on throwing the fight, on letting the other kill him."

Starrk knew this; he was just as good at reading others as his master, having taught the younger himself.

"I had to get some spark back into him. He looked like he'd just been given a reprieve, like it was his final request before death. I thought if he was fighting with hate in his veins, he might win, just for spite."

"Ichigo, I know. I saw it on his face too. You did what was best. He will forgive you."

Ichigo pushed back from his old friend. He lowered his head onto his hand and took a deep breath. He felt something trickle from his nose and pulled his handkerchief from his inside pocket. Holding the fabric to his nose he dabbed, taking a quick look before folding it and putting it away. Not quickly enough it seemed, Starrk frowning at him.

"It is nothing."

The two left the room after Ichigo had composed himself, re-joining Tia with Nel now wide awake. "Uncle, where is the blue slave? Is he yours now?"

"Neliel, it is not your place to ask. And you had no business talking to that man. We will be having words when we return home." Unlike slaves, it was not done to punish family in public.

They made their way to the circle of the arena, the nobles sitting in long couches with long tables of refreshments, cheese, fruit and wine, set in front of them. Many of the females looking to snag a husband at these events came dressed in long gowns that split high on the thigh so that when you lounged, your leg would be scandalously shown. Orihime was reclining on a nude coloured couch, her blue gown and red hair standing out. One creamy thigh was peeking out of her gown and she shyly waved at him, beckoning him over. He declined, choosing an empty couch where he sat, his niece joining him a second later. Starrk poured a glass of wine for his master and a juice for the young mistress from pitchers before standing behind the seat, Tia falling into place next to him. Starrk did his best to convey what had happened to her but they knew they were being watched by the surrounding nobility.

A warm up match, something with a story line Ichigo ignored took place without him watching it. Nel sat quietly, swinging her little legs under the seat and watching as her shiny shoes appeared then disappeared with great amusement each time. A few of Ichigo's acquaintances drifted by, stopping for a moment, passing vague comments and greeting to the little girl in the green dress who smiled charmingly at each of them.

One of the semi-final matches took place, the hulk of a man Ichigo had instantly dismissed, ripping a finger off, throwing it into the sand. The poor slave screamed falling to his knees before the monster of a man wrapped his arms around the smaller one, snapping his neck. He had grabbed his little niece, turning her from the sight instantly as the finger had become detached, the little girl instinctively burying her head in his jacket. He held her head to his chest, blocking her ears with his heartbeat and other hand as he hummed deep in his chest, the old tune he'd been singing to the girl since she was born relaxing her.

After the match was over, and the body removed he relaxed his grip, fury ripping his insides apart that his niece was expected to watch the barbarianism. It was bad enough he was here. She wasn't the only child in the arena, nor the youngest; she wasn't the only one distressed either.

His fighter was up next, fighting against that brute of a man now that he'd won his match. There was a brief intermission to allow the fighter a breath but the match would be on soon. The nobility took the time to mingle more, drink more and regurgitate the previous events, each spilling over with the details from the last.

Ichigo handed his niece over to her nanny at the approach of his host and friends. Gin took a seat right next to him, reclining into the couch, and into the lord. "Hello Ichigo. Enjoying the bouts?"

"As well as one can Ichimaru."

"So formal My Lord. Your new fighter is up next, you want to put a wager on the man? Make things more interesting?"

"I fail to see how involving money will make things more interesting. The slave will win, or he won't. Taking your money will not change that fact."

Gin grinned; he liked the young Lord's quick wit and understated humour. He knew Lord Kurosaki despised these events, but he knew all must play their parts.

Tousen spoke up then. "I heard you had an altercation with your new fighter, I hope you didn't injure him too badly."

"The slave was getting too close to the young Lord's niece, I'm sure that was uncomfortable for him, isn't that right Kurosaki. I'm surprised you let your wet nurse allow the girl near a brute light that fighter." Aizen grinned down at the younger man, no friendliness in the smile at all.

"That's true my Lord Aizen. The blond slave clearly wasn't doing her job correctly. And yet here she is, still trusted with the girl's wellbeing."

Ichigo stood, noticing the lack of conversations around him signalling that people were witnessing his actions. "My niece is not hidden from any of the dealing of nobility, occasionally shielded from things that are above her age. She had a right to witness the selection of a slave. However you are correct about her slave's carelessness. I had hoped to deal with it once I had returned home but since it is public knowledge now, so shall the punishment be." Ichigo rounded the couch, watching Tia lower little Nel to the floor. The girl stared at her furious uncle and her now terrified nanny and she was unsure of what to do. Behind her uncle was Starrk holding a hand out, clearly telling her to come to him. She obeyed, turning before her uncle struck.

Ichigo stalked closer to his friend, hating the genuine flicker of fear in her eyes behind the façade. As she tripped over one of table legs, falling to her side, he finally reached her side. Her grey suit dress rose, showing her black stocking covered legs. She instinctually raised a hand to ward off a blow but that made him grab it, hauling her up towards him. Her face snapped to the side, her body following it as he released her hand. She muffled a scream, all false as the master had been surprisingly gently. Nnoitra had worked with the master, showing him how to make a loud and showy strike that stung, but didn't bruise.

It still left a red mark, for all that it would fade in an hour or so, and she saw her master's eyes flicker behind his mask of indifference. She came to her knees, keeping her head bowed. Waiting there for either a second blow, or forgiveness, the whole crowd watched Ichigo glare down at her.

"You will not allow my niece to be endangered or you shall be replaced. Is that clear?" The blond head before him nodded. "And you understand that this matter is not finished?" Again the head nodded. Ichigo judged the issue dealt with and returned to his seat, making sure to put a bit of distance between the silver haired man and himself. Not for long however as the long arm wrapped around his shoulders.

"Ah the legendary Kurosaki temper, not seen that for a while. I thought you had beaten all disobedience out of your lot."

"As had I. I feel I will have to readdress some issues." Ichigo felt the genuine squeeze to his shoulder that the older man gave him before he rose and left with the other two. No one approached him in the intermediate time before the last bout, something he was thankful for and he sat in silence staring into the distance. He felt Starrk at his elbow, just to the side of the arm of his chair and knew Tia was next to him. He hoped Nnoitra was having an easier time with the new slave.

The competitors for the next match were at their gates, waiting for them to rise. This gave them a clear view of just over half of the audience, and each other as they faced across the sands. The blue haired slave knew he had a tough component but witnessing his new master strike the blonde slave had boiled his blood. He was now determined to escape the ring, and deal with the fire haired master.

He watched as his gate sank to the floor, leaping over the last foot of it. He sprang into action, grabbing the high ground of the central rock before his monstrous opponent could reach him. Delivering a sharp kick to the thick skulled man did little than bloody his nose but it gained him first blood, something which boded well for a victory.

The bout lasted a long time, both pulling life fluid from the other with teeth and nails. The blue haired slave gripped a long thick arm before swinging it round, landing on the back with two feet, neatly dislocating the arm, before yanking it further, making it unusable. A swift kick to the kidneys had his opponent on the sand. Kneeling across the man's throat, the blue haired slave felt the man scrabble at his thigh for relief, the strong leg cutting off his air. Ignoring the scores cut into his leg, one finger digging into a deep wound, the slave kept the pressure on till the body under him stilled. He released it quickly, hoping he'd done it quick enough to save the man's life he stood, turning to his new master and bowing to his knees then his forehead pressed to the sand, as was expected. The young lord stood and waited till the slave regained his feet, nodding at the man as he turned to leave the arena.

The slave flexed his hands as he went back to his cage, knowing the master would be taking him tonight. Hopefully the slave could wrap his large hands around that slim delicate neck and crack his bones.

Ichigo nodded marginally at Starrk and he stood and swept out of the arena, heading to the main hall once more. Tia followed behind, Nel in her arms once more, the high heels of the calf length leather boots clicking on the marble floors. Zommari was in the hall waiting for them, having seen his master rise from the lower circle and he waited for his orders.

Starrk quickly took charge, ordering a slave of the household to instruct Nnoitra to ready the fighter for transport. He had Zommari bring the town car around and then requested another slave to go outside and find a slave called Szayel and get him to bring the second car around. Starrk had sent a message to had the pink haired slave bring the Landover to transport the new slave, his master couldn't trust the new one in the same vehicle, himself and Nnoitra present of not.

Nnoitra appeared soon after, new slave in tow. The blue haired man was still dressed for the arena, barefoot and all and was struggling with his captor. Starrk approached him, speaking softly.

"You will take the new one back in the rover with Szayel. He has a sedative with him if you would prefer. We will see you back in the house."

Nnoitra nodded, moving to leave the room, dragging his struggling captive with him. His master's voice stopped him, the young lord calling for a moment. Nnoitra frowned at the paleness in his master's skin, and the usual firm gait seeming a bit unsure.

"Slave what is your name?"

The blue haired man glared at his new master. "I have no name master."

"Slave, tell me your name."

"Grimmjow."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The young master nodded turning away from his new slave, intending on sitting till his car was brought down. His body had different ideas and he stumbled, hand out to try and stop himself. Expecting the ground to hit him, he closed his eyes but the blow never came. His two loyal slaves had both reached for him at the same time, Nnoitra dropping his captive's arms to do so. Neither man made it to him though, their master cradled in the new slaves grip keeping the young man from kissing the carpet. Grimmjow lowered him to the floor gently, wincing in pain from his shoulder at the burden. Both older slaves knelt at their master's side.

"Master," Starrk lifted the younger man's face, the usual clear brown eyes were lidded and distant. His breath was coming faster than usual and from his nose trickled a line of red. "Ichigo!" Starrk breathed his master name, worry evident in his voice.

"I'm alright, just dizzy. Just give me a moment." The lord lent back on the body supporting him, trying to get himself under control.

Grimmjow's fingers flexed. This was the moment; he could have his hands wrapped around the spoiled noble's neck before either of the other two could move. Neither of them would be able to pry his fingers off until the little prick stopped struggling. His one regret was that the man's little girl was staring wide eyes at him, worry evident in her young eyes. As did the blonde holding her; she looked genuinely concerned, just like the two men at his knees.

That gave him pause for thought. Three people who should be glad to see their captor suffering, or at least be worrying about themselves not the master, and they were all terrified he was genuinely ill. The little lord's body was warm against him, bringing back the emotions he felt as the man wrapped his arm round him, taking care of his injured arm.

A large black skinned man entered the room, face shocked at the group on the floor. He was at the master's feet in seconds, one hand on the toe of his boot, as if he needed to ensure he was actually there. "I'm fine Zomm, just want to go home." The master spoke quietly, then made move to get up, Starrk and Nnoitra supporting his elbows as he stood. The young man wobbled as he made his feet, the large black man reaching for him to aid as well; Grimmjow had to snap his hands to his sides as they automatically went to help too. Starrk seemed to make his mind up at that and swept the noble up into his arms, holding the smaller man with ease as they made their way out to the car. The noble didn't even make a fuss at the hands on his person and Grimmjow watched Starrk enter the car, the lord still in his arms before Tia gracefully sat, holding the little girl in her arms. Zommari closed the door gently before resuming his driver's seat.

Nnoitra was holding Grimmjow's elbow, gently now, leading him towards a waiting 4x4. Unlike the luxurious town car that had whisked away his new master in its gunmetal magnificence, this vehicle was clearly for work, mud splattering the wheel arches. The large vehicle was a pale gold, sandy colour and was something Grimmjow could appreciate. Nnoitra grinned as the man paused to take the car in. "You a car guy? You're going to love your new home then. If you're lucky the master might let you drive some of them."

Grimmjow looked at the slave at his elbow, the man's friendliness surprising him. He hadn't been spoken to such for a long time. "Why are you speaking to me?"

"You're part of the family now bud. We're fairly dysfunctional to be fair but it makes it more interesting. Now are you going to haul your ass into the rover or will I get my friend to stick you like a piggy?"

Grimmjow looked at the driver, the man behind the wheel raising his eyebrow behind his white rimmed glasses. He ran his fingers through his bold pink hair before mockingly inviting the men into the car. Grimmjow opened the back door, surprised as the taller man slid in next to him. The locks snapping down on the doors didn't surprise him however.

The drive started off silent, but Grimmjow could help but ask questions, the facts about his new position seemed so contradictory. "Are you happy with the master?"

Nnoitra looked at the other slave, knowing he'd have to be careful until they knew he wasn't a plant from Tousen and his friends. "Yes, he has a clear set of rules, and if you follow them you will live a comfortable life. You will have jobs, and chores, we all muck in with various house tasks outside of our main assignments. I'm in charge of my lord's security but also work in the stables because I enjoy it. Starrk is head of the household, organising all of us but also breeds my lord's hounds. Depending on your assignment, you might get to do something you enjoy. Do you do anything other than fight?"

"I know my way round an engine. I'm good with my hands, wood, metal you know? Haven't really done anything in years though."

"How'd you end up in the pits?"

"I smashed my master's decanter of brandy, apparently it was expensive."

"Clumsy then?" Nnoitra smiled at the other's embarrassment.

"No, it was the hand wrapped round my dick that put me off. My Lord Tousen didn't like taking no for an answer."

"It isn't my lord Tousen, it is Baron Tousen. I would take care over your ranks." The driver finally spoke up. "My Lord Kurosaki would not appreciate being put on the same level as that man."

"Grimmjow, meet Szayel Aporro, chief cook and bottle washer, occasional medic and gardener depending on the day of the week." Nnoitra made the introductions.

" _Bottle washer?"_

Grimmjow stared at the tall black haired man, the man leaning back in his seat, the long legs spread as he let rip a full bellied laugh bringing tears to his eyes. The blue haired slave fell quiet, the situation becoming more confusing. He'd never seen such camaraderie between two slaves, no matter how long they had worked together; it was like they were actual friends.

Nnoitra noticed the look on his face and he calmed down. "Remember what Starrk told you, not everything is as it seems, and definitely not what you will be expecting. My Lord Kurosaki is different from your old master."

"My old master never struck me. My lord hit me for no reason; it leaves me unsure over his actions."

"It should become clear, eventually."

Szayel caught Nnoitra's eye in the rear-view mirror, both of them noticing the resentment in the slave's voice towards their master. This new member of their family would either be welcome, or found face down in the river if he chose to harm their lord.

_iiiiii_

The large range rover pulled in behind the town car at the entrance to the large house. Grimmjow followed Nnoitra out of the car, taking in his new home for the first time. It was larger than his previous master's, but didn't seem to have to adjoining wings at the back. The outside was a pale sandstone colour with large columns lining the entrance way. The large oak doors were still open having just been passed by the head slave, still clutching his master. Grimmjow had watched him then the blond slave finish climbing the stairs before both entering the house at speed. Nnoitra took his elbow again, hurrying him into the house as the two cars left the turning circle. Nnoitra dropped him as soon as they were through the doors, the tall man hurrying through an arch to the left. Grimmjow heard the door behind him slam shut, an elderly man holding the knob to lock the door.

"You must be the fighter my lord has adopted. Do not leave this hallway."

The older slave walked into the left, leaving Grimmjow at a loss. His instinctive training told him to do exactly as he was told but he could help himself as he moved closer to the arch, seeing the orange head of his master lying back on a sofa arm, the back of the piece of furniture blocking the rest of him. Starrk knelt at his head, one hand stroking though the ruffled orange spikes as he held a handkerchief to the man's face. He couldn't make out what was being said but the concern was evident from across the room. The master sat up, waving off the stares and the hands, finally lifting Starrk's hand from his hair and holding it in front of him.

Starrk snapped his gaze up and locked eyes with the blue haired slave. He gestured for the man to approach them, Nnoitra and the older man standing back slightly to allow him round the front of the sofa.

He stood a step or so from his master's boots, waiting for the man to address him. The young noble had dropped his number one's hand as he'd approached but Grimmjow had still seen the affection they had shared.

"Grimmjow, I apologise for your first experiences as a member of my household. This is an annoying affliction that causes my entire staff to coddle me like a child but that doesn't matter. If I ask you a question, will you answer it truthfully, no matter what?"

Grimmjow looked down at the man, the way of speech confusing to him, he'd never been asked a genuine question by a noble before, and he knew if the master was unhappy with his answer, he could draw a different answer out with pain and torment easily enough. To ask for a truthful answer was almost a waste of time.

The lord gestured for him to come down to his level. Starrk turned towards him as he knelt at his side. "I will answer as truthfully as I can my lord."

"Do you wish me ill? Are you planning on harming me in defiance of your new position?"

Grimmjow was shocked at the frankness of the question. He nodded, knowing instantly that he'd lost any chance of being left alone with the master to actually do anything. His arms were restrained by Starrk and Nnoitra and the older slave had moved next to his master, each of them intent on keeping the younger man safe.

"I understand. And accept full responsibility for those feelings. Thank you for your honesty." The young man stood, accepting the brief hand on his shoulder from his eldest help before he made his way out of the room. He stopped just behind his newest slave for a second and dropped a hand to his shoulder. That seemed to incense the slave, and he suddenly struggles towards his master, as if going to carry out his plans while surrounded by clearly faithful servants. The hand was removed and the master made his way out of the room, neither slave letting him move again until they were sure their master had left the vicinity.

Both men let him go at the same time, shoving him against the sofa as they stood in front of him. "You will never get the chance to inflict any damage on our master. We will not allow it, is that clear?"

Grimmjow just looked at the floor at their feet, sullenly excepting his fate. He was hauled to his feet and half dragged from the room, back to the hallway. They continued down the large room, the three chandeliers above them casting a soft glow on the room. The grand staircase swept up at the end of the room, splitting two ways as it met the mezzanine but they went to the left and through an ordinary white door under the stairs. The long white corridor was free of any embellishments making it clear they were in the slave areas. More plain white doors lined the walls and they turned left twice before going through one. This led to an area Grimmjow recognised, locking doors with clear plexiglass windows showing sparse rooms beyond. A slim tray met the bottom of the window where an unlockable slot gave access to pass items to the occupant without having to open the door. Standard holding cells and these were no different to the other households; most new slaves spent a couple of nights in cells like these as they were isolated for health and safety reasons. Grimmjow knew it could be well more than a couple of nights for him. It wasn't diseases they were worried about with him, he had proven a threat to their master and they were taking no chances with him. Starrk unlocked the first cell and Nnoitra led him in. Everything was ready for him, the narrow cot having a bale of bedding on it and a metal pitcher with a metal cup sat on a table, bolted to the floor. There was no seat, or anything else in the room. He was moved to the wall, pressed against and his legs spread. Grimmjow braced himself on his arms as the tall body guard performed a basic search. The draw string on his shorts was pulled out but nothing else was found and he was hauled round. Nnoitra held his jaw for a moment, making him crane his head up to look at the man nearly a foot taller than him. "You are a fucking idiot."

Both men left him alone after that, leaving him in the dark a moment later. Grimmjow leaned his back against the wall, sinking to the floor as he took in his surroundings. The pan in the corner looked cleaner than the one in his fighter's cage but other than that he couldn't see any other improvement. At least in the pit it wasn't dark, pathway between the cages had lighting in the ceiling that was on at all times, this place barely had any moonlight coming through the window.

Grimmjow didn't really like the dark, it left a person with nothing but their own memories for company, and Grimmjow didn't get along with his very well. His mind went over the various bits and pieces he'd learned about his master, each contradicting with the next. He struck his slaves, yet they held him close, holding his hand even; he was a cold, indifferent bastard, yet his number one had whispered his first name like a prayer when he'd collapsed. How can a man with a reputation like his have such loyal and caring slaves? And the blonde, who had been struck like him, had been close to tears earlier. His mind brought him back to the feeling of the man's hands on him, of his arm around him. He wasn't kidding himself when he said he'd felt something, the young man having looked at him like that before touching him, it was something he had  _never_  experienced. Why would he strike him afterwards? All it did was make his blood pound in his veins, making him win the match through pure fury.

Grimmjow sat for a long time, looking through the small, high window as he thought through the last day. He didn't realise he'd fallen asleep until he snapped awake to the sound of a latch on his door going. The pink haired man stood at his window, the little slot open with a tray half through it.

"Good morning, I trust you slept well?" The smirk and raised eyebrow clearly said Szayel knew he'd slept curled up on the floor meaning he was going to be stiff and sore when he moved.

The blue haired slave used the wall to get himself up, wincing as his knees straightened. "Fantastic, what time is it?"

"Breakfast time I believe. I do hope you like porridge and toast. Not that it matters I suppose, you can't get anything else."

Grimmjow made his way over to the door, accepting the tray to allow the pink haired man to lock the slot closed. The porridge looked alright, and the toast not burned, something he'd half expected. The pink haired man was clearly unimpressed by his actions the previous night and didn't seem happy to play maid to the captive.

Just as he turned to leave, he turned back, one hand rubbing his eyes under his glasses before righting them on his nose again. "I'm sorry, but can you just clarify something; you heard Nnoitra telling you that life here was good, that you'd get to do things you are actually good at and enjoy and yet you still did  _that_  to my lord?"

"He hit me."

"We'll do a lot more than hit you if you even breathe wrong in his direction again. And you are a fighter? One little slap from a  _lord_  sends you mental? What about the one pitting you against all the murderers in the pit? Is it alright for him to do that as long as he doesn't dirty his hands? Take this little bit of advice, forget what you know, and actually pay attention to your surroundings. Listen, and watch, maybe you'll get a second chance." The pink haired man left him in peace to eat his cooling meal, the porridge a good texture and salty, something he'd not expected. The toast was buttered, not with any crap oil based spread but actual butter that melted into his mouth. He chewed slowly, savouring each bite before he found he'd finished it.

After placing the tray back at the door, he stood on his bed to look out of his small window better. The window looked over a large green area, fences on all sides with a building at the end near the gate. Inside the grassy area played five young tan hounds, each wrestling others for ragged pieces of rope. At a brisk whistle the dogs dropped their toys before lining up and sitting, long dark tails wriggling as they attempted to maintain their positions. Two sharp whistle blows had them break their ranks and run towards the blower, the man's voice carrying through the glass to Grimmjow who recognised Starrk's deep tones as he laughed. He walked up to the toys before lifting one and throwing it to the other side of the grass, five eager pups darting after it. The man walked towards the house, leaving Grimmjow's vision before a long leg appeared to the side of his window, the man having sat on the grass at the side. A hand knocked on his window, unnecessary as it was clear he'd been seen looking out but Grimmjow knocked back. Spotting the small latch, Grimmjow opened the window to the stop, barely an inch of movement but it let him head the other man clearer.

"Do you regret being truthful to my master last night?"

Grimmjow was unsure how to answer that question, either way could be taken wrong. "I regret feeling that way."

"Do you wish me to believe that one night in a cell has changed your opinion of my lord?"

Again it was a difficult one to answer. "I want you to believe that I wish to earn your trust, and that of the master. But I can't trust him at the moment so I am unsure how to proceed."

"That you are willing to try is a step in the right direction."

"Starrk, can I ask you something?"

"Of course, I might not answer though."

Grimmjow swallowed for a second. "Why did you whisper my Lord's given name when he collapsed? And I saw him holding your hand. I have never seen a master be so familiar with a slave."

Grimmjow heard the other man scoff. "Of course you haven't. To the world we are property, something to wring all usefulness out of before discarding. It is different here, I tried to tell you. And as for my actions towards the master, that is easy to explain." Starrk paused as he got his feet under him to stand. "I love him." Pushing himself up, the number one slave walked away before he could be questioned on his answer. The five hounds followed their trainer to the building beyond the gate where they all disappeared from sight.

Grimmjow lay on his bed, mulling over the new information in his head as he stared at the ceiling. He didn't know the passage of time, except he hadn't had any more visitors to his door or window, just Szayel removing the tray in silence and there had been no delivery for lunch leaving him to believe it was around midday. A voice carried through the window to him, making him sit up.

"In a hole under the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort."

The young master's voice carried well as he read, one arm holding the book on his lap as the other stroked the head of a fully grown version of the pups that had previously played outside. Grimmjow stood quietly, raising his head to the window once more. The long legs were covered by blue jeans, and the large sandy gold head rested on them.

"It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs and lots and lots of pegs for hats and coats – the hobbit was fond of visitors."

"Why are you reading to me my lord?"

Grimmjow had been reluctant to break the hypnotic prose but he had to know.

"Is it not enough to just enjoy the story? Or maybe I just like to hear my own voice, isn't that more what you would believe? Perhaps it relaxes my best dog to hear my voice; she is getting on in years and gets stressed by her grandchildren easily. Do you want me to leave?"

Again the master was asking him what his preference was, something unheard of. "No my lord, I would like to hear the story. Can I ask what it is about?"

"It is about a man who was so sure of his lot in life; he had forgotten his youthful enthusiasm for adventure and is dragged into a journey, protesting the whole way. He had to reassess everything he knew about the world and himself as he travelled, fighting monsters and dragons along the way."

"Did my lord pick this book for any particular reason?" Grimmjow was starting to see a new side to the master, one with a sense of humour.

"Possibly. And I owe you an apology. I do not strike for no reason, and I am sorry it has made you hate me, that was the last thing I truly intended. I hope you will give me a second chance." The master paused for a second, before the dog on his lap huffed. "Alright, I'll continue. 'The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill – The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it – and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on the other."

Grimmjow sank onto his bed, lying so he could see the man's arm on the head of the dog, rising every now and then to turn a page. He heard about the poor man's nice home being invaded by thirteen short men called dwarves and a wizard who ate all his food and dared him to join them on a journey to fight a dragon.

The master had to excuse himself after a time, putting a bookmark at his place as he rose to his feet. The dog hauled herself up as well, trotting after him towards the gate. Grimmjow raised his voice, calling out to a master in direct violation of all rules he'd even known. "My Lord Kurosaki,"

The young man paused and turned back to him, waiting on him to continue.

"Are you feeling better?"

A smile split the face watching him, and the master nodded, giving him a wave as he left the area. A sound behind him snapped his attention to his door, giving him a fright.

The pink haired man stood holding another tray out through the slot. "Well that is progress anyway." He smiled, less sarcasm this time in his voice and he nodded towards the ex-fighter as he accepted the tray. The slot was locked again and he was left to enjoy his meal in piece.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Three days passed with little notice, the pink haired man delivering his meals regularly but never really talking. Each day in the morning Starrk took his young trainees out to the grass and ran through drills with them, their youthful enthusiasm and developing bodies usually ending the lessons in a heap of wriggling fur. Starrk had told him the dogs were Great Danes, one of the largest breeds in the world but very sweet natured. It was the first litter of the year, the previous one having been rehomed all but one pup that was found to be undesirable. Grimmjow asked a few questions about the dogs, pressing his fingers to the window when one of the pups pressed his nose to the glass. The dog tried to lick him, tail madly wagging as it tried to fit through the tiny gap.

The fourth day shined bright, the sun hitting Grimmjow's face as he woke. Stretching out his body, he scratched at his hair, wincing at the unwashed feel of it. The room was kept cool so he hadn't been sweating but he hadn't had anything but a quick wash since his last fight and he desperately needed a shower. He heard Starrk's voice making him stand on his bed to see the man who must be out earlier than normal; Grimmjow usually had finished his breakfast before pup training. Not seeing the man in the yard, he jumped at the knocking on his door. Turning, he saw the head slave watching him through the glass, a smirk on his face.

"I didn't know you looked forward to our mornings together so much." Grimmjow just looked at the floor as he stepped from his bed. He lifted the material hanging off his hips, making sure he kept the little dignity he had left as he stepped to the middle of the room. Starrk cleared his throat, drawing the man's eyes back to him. "I came to see if you would like to shower, and perhaps get a change of clothing. You can join me for breakfast afterwards if you would like?" The look on the newest slave's face was answer enough and Grimmjow quickly followed the older man out of the cell. Waiting in the corridor was a beast of a man, clearly unimpressed with the latest acquisition and he stood with his arms folded over his chest.

"Grimmjow, this is Yammy Llargo. He is a member of Nnoitra's security team. Nnoitra is out with my lord at a meeting so Yammy is here to ensure you behave yourself."

Grimmjow nodded, looking back at the man behind him. Yammy was as tall as Nnoitra but much bulkier. Grimmjow had never felt so small since he'd become fully grown and he knew he'd be on his best behaviour. He thought about his master who didn't enter a fighter when he clearly had muscle in his ranks; the young noble could make a fortune from the wins.

Not that he needed it, the slave realised as he was led into a large bathing room. It was like something he'd seen in a noble's gym or leisure centre when he'd had to attend his master. Shower cubicles with solid doors lined one wall with a door marked as a toilet sat on the far wall. There was another door with a bathtub sign on it on the wall facing the showers, which opened to reveal Szayel wrapped in a cream robe, hands towelling his hair dry. The pink haired men smiled at the new arrivals and walked over to a series of lockers on the wall at the entrance door. He removed his glasses from one before turning back to the men, returning the towel to his still dripping hair.

"Good morning all, good to see you out of the cell Grimmjow, I could smell you when I delivered your meals yesterday." He turned to the head slave. "Have you got him something else to wear? Those rags will have to be burned."

Starrk snorted. "Yeah, I brought some of my clothes for him. Might be snug on the shoulders but they will do. My lord will want him to be properly fitted for clothes once he learns how to behave." Starrk showed the newest slave where to get clean towels and toiletries, selecting his own towel in the process before taking one of the sower cubicles without a word. Grimmjow stood and watched him before looking in the supply cupboard himself. There was a selection of body washes and shampoos on one shelf, he selected a wash at random but spent more time looking over the shampoo selection. He'd never got to choose before and didn't know they came in as many different types. New toothbrushes were kept one shelf down and he grabbed a silver one and a tube of spearmint toothpaste, never having used it either.

He took the body wash and shampoo into the shower before stripping down to his skin, tossing the fighter's clothes on the floor at the door. As he worked out the shower, a hand came under the door and swiped the dirty clothes away. The shower had one knob for pressure, and another for temperature and he got a nice hot flow running quickly. He turned and let the hot water run over his body, gasping as it hit his skin the first time. Luxury didn't describe these facilities, these were pure fantasy for slaves and he couldn't believe that this was the standard they lived with.

"Yo Grimmjow," Starrk's voice appeared through the wall dividing them. See the button under the pressure knob? Give it a press."

Grimmjow turned and stretched out his hand, uncertain for a moment before pressing the silver button down. Jets of water came out of the wall behind him, differing pressures depending on their location and they pulsed up and down his back, almost supporting his weight at times. Grabbing at the shower gel, he started to strip days' worth of sweat and grim off his skin, flakes of dried blood flowing down the drain from the scratches from his opponents. His shoulder twinged at times but he rotated it under the hot flow of water, the massage jets relaxing the muscles beautifully. The best part by far was the feel of the shampoo cutting through the grime in his hair. He washed his hair again, just to feel the tingle in his scalp, working the lather in with his fingers. Rinsing the foam off, he stood under the water for a few more minutes, the wet blue strands falling onto his face.

A knock at his door ended his overly long shower, and he turned the pressure off, stepping out of the water dip and pulled the black towel off the top of the door, rubbing it through his hair first before towelling the rest of his body off. He slung the towel around his waist before opening the door, wondering what was happening next. He remembered back to one of his first adult households where the slaves all showered naked and there was nothing like modesty between them. There was more than one coupling in the showers, slaves taking relief from each other but Grimmjow had refused to take part in it, even though he would have had the pick of the submissives, male or female with his looks.

He stepped out of the cubicle, Starrk sitting on one of the central benches, fully dressed in stonewashed jeans and a black polo shirt. It was the most casual he'd seen the man, even the dog training had taken place with suit trousers and a shirt on.

"I filled your locker with a few bits and pieces I thought you'd need. If you've any specific needs then you'll have to let us know. Hurry up and get your ass ready, I'm hungry."

He walked over to the bank of lockers, 24 half-length metal doors lining the walls. Starrk's was marks with his name, top left in the set. He spotted his own name third along on the bottom row and opened it to find clean underwear, a pair of jeans and a couple of folded t-shirts. The toothbrush he'd left lying was on the little shelf and there was a comb and razor sitting next to it. He lifted a pair of navy blue trunks and glanced back at the other occupant in the room, feeling unsure as to how to proceed. He was so far out of his depth when it came to what was expected of him, and he'd only been here a few days.

Starrk was watching him, but clearly saw the other's dilemma and huffed before physically turning away, giving the other a moment of privacy. Grimmjow was just pulling the jeans over his ass when Starrk finally piped up. "Didn't know prissiness was a quality in pit slaves. Did you have someone dressing you too back at the Baron's?"

Grimmjow felt a bit of his old fury running down his back, a bit fed up at the jibes he was getting. He fastened the jeans at his pelvic bones, the waist sitting low on him. He ran the towel across his hair once more, before taking his new toiletries over to a sink and making quick use of them. His mouth felt brand new, he'd not brushed his teeth properly in years, quite surprised he still had all of them and he ran the comb over his head, sweeping the hair straight back. As it dried it would fall into its usual place, thought it was normally just fingers that did the job.

He looked at the razor in his hand, another new piece of kit and one he'd not used personally. He'd never been old enough to end up with a slave's beard; most slaves not being trusted with a sharp blade after all and he'd been shaved by older slaves when he was a house slave and pit slave for similar reasons.

Starrk appeared in the mirror behind him. "Is there any reason why you are staring at that for so long? Not planning on making a mess are we?" Starrk had seen one slave take his own life, with a piece of broken mirror years ago, and not under Lord Kurosaki, he did not want to watch a replay.

"I've never shaved before." Grimmjow stared at the basin in front of him, the dregs of his toothpaste still on the ceramic.

Starrk came up behind the slave, resting a hand on the other's shoulder. "Would you like me to help you?" He reached for the razor with his other hand. "Would you prefer to be clean shaven or just trimmed down like mine?"

Grimmjow looked at the older man, more incomprehensible events shocking his brain to overload. "What is this? How can this be how you live? How you treat each other?"

The older slave caught the flying hands as Grimmjow gestured in his frustrations. The blue haired slave was surprised by the other's strength, holding him down. "I get it, you're confused but I promise this is genuine. I know how you've been treated previously, all of us do. My lord took us all in at different times, for different reasons but it has made this house, this place safe for us. Trust me when I say you've still not seen the most of it. Just trust me, I trust you, mostly, but understand that my lord and master is first in all things to me, and to all of us here and we would never risk him." Starrk was trapping him against the washbasins, Grimmjow's wrists in his large hands. Steely blue eyes looked deep into the brighter blue ones and they stood for a moment. Starrk leaned closer slightly, tasting the mint on the other's breath but kept his distance. He pushed off, running a hand along the strong jaw of the other man, feeling the rough stubble on the other's face; it was casting his lower jaw in shadow of the almost navy hair.

Grimmjow gulped, new emotions tumbling inside his guts, trying to jerk out of him. He'd wanted to lean into the older man when he'd hovered over him, their breath had mixed and it would have been simple to close the distance between them and taste him deeply. As the older man shaved him, talking him through it, their faces remained close together and Grimmjow felt little raised bumps on his arms every time the other's breath ghosted over his skin.

He was dragged out of the bathroom, pulled a white t-shirt over his head as he went, Starrk grumbling over his late breakfast. They made their way into another new room, this one half kitchen, half dining room and Starrk dragged him to a seat at the large rectangular table. He sat tenderly in the leather upholstered chair, the stark white table cloth draping over his legs as he pulled under the seat. The older slave leaned forward over his place setting and fiddled with the teaspoon sitting on the saucer in front of him, clicking the metal against the white porcelain. Szayel appeared next to them, whipping the teaspoon out of his superiors hand as he laid a plate in front of each of them. A rack of toast appeared a second later and the cups in front of them were filled with steaming tea.

"The only thing fresh is the toast; you took so long in the bathroom that I bet the eggs are ruined. Well it'll teach you to be hot water hogs." The pink haired man sniffed at them before returning to the kitchen area, filling a dishwasher like the dishes had done him a grievous insult.

"Don't mind him; he's always pissy when someone is late to a meal. It's a good thing he's a decent cook or we wouldn't put up with his moods." Starrk lifted his silver fork and dug into his plate, cutting into the fried egg with the edge of the utensil allowing the runny yolk to spill onto the plate. A slice of fat sausage scooped up some of the yolk and the man savoured the taste with his eyes closed.

That made Grimmjow grab up his own cutlery, gazing down at the plate at all the food he'd seen masters eating, but had never had himself. Three slices of thick back bacon lay next to his two fat sausages. One large fried egg sat on the other side, the yellow yolk looking near perfect, regardless of the chef's worry. He lifted a half slice of toast and used the pointed end to break through, scooping some up onto the buttery toast. It was officially the best thing he'd eaten, ever. Until he had some of the bacon, and then the sausage, then a bit of egg, sausage and bacon on a fork topped them all individually. Following all of that was two slices of toast, mopping up the bacon grease and yolk on the plate before he dropped his fork. Looking up for the first time, he realised both men were watching him, Szayel with his usual amused smirk.

"Were you hungry pet?"

Grimmjow leaned back for a moment, wondering if he'd done something wrong at first, with the way both men were staring at him.

"If you are done we should make a move, unless you can fit more in?"

Grimmjow shook his head, pushing his chair back to stand when the other man did.

"Starrk, we will have to work on his table manners, the master will not appreciate watching a blue haired orang-utan at the table for the evening meal." The pink haired man made his way over to the table and stood next to Grimmjow. The man in question was blushing slightly, realising it was yet another thing he didn't understand. "Hey, I was just teasing. How would you know table etiquette when you've probably never sat at one? And compared to Yammy when he first arrived you are a Duke. Lesson one; cutlery is left straight at the end of a meal." The pink haired man straightened the knife and fork, handles pointing to the new slave. "It lets the server know you are finished and that you enjoyed the meal, if you are unfinished and just taking a break leave them open. Lesson two, use a napkin." Szayel lifted the folded white napkin on Grimmjow's left and snapped it open, laying it across the man's lap. Gesturing as it fell, he then picked it up and wiped Grimmjow's mouth, folding it roughly before sliding it under the plate.

"Come on Grimmjow, the pups will be tearing the place apart. Come out and train with me." The two men stood, leaving the room, Grimmjow having to skirt around Szayel to get round the table and the other man squeezed his shoulder as he passed, before lifting the plates and cups, taking them back to the kitchen area.

Grimmjow hurried after the head slave, the man's long legs taking him through the back of the house and outside into the garden. Grimmjow saw the dog's building over to the left, with the fenced off area to its front. To the right sat a sports court and the edge of a swimming pool just around the corner. In the centre, facing the house was a manicured garden with a paved seating area in the centre. The curves of the hedgerows were mirrored in the slabs and the benches were curved also, sitting round a circular fire pit in the very centre.

Starrk had already arrived at the door to the wooden building and was waiting for him as he jogged up, amused half smile in place. The two men entered the building and the smell of clean hay and dog hit him. It wasn't a dirty smell, but it was unmistakeable. Grimmjow had worked with fighting and hunting dogs before, never training them, just general care of their quarters and feeding them but it was nothing like this.

"Do the dogs live in here?"

Starrk reached into a pouch at the door, gesturing for the other man to do the same as he drew out a small handful of treats. "Some of them. My master's trained dogs live in the main house, Willow and Fawn being his two favourites. In here are the young ones that would make a mess in the house and their mother who is still training them and watching them. This is Cloud," he gestured to the pup's mother, a dark grey coloured dog with a massive blocky head. "She had this bunch of menaces five weeks ago. That's the only pup left from her last litter, he's not got a home yet." He pointed first at the five sandy coloured pups he'd seen previously before gesturing at a bigger pup that was the same colour as his mother. He had a white splodge on his chest and both of his front paws had white toes. He wriggled as Grimmjow looked down on him, desperate for attention. The blue haired man knelt down at the cage, looking up at the other slave for permission before offering a treat to the pup. He handed one of the liver snaps over before scratching the dog behind its ear. "Why didn't he get a home?"

"He has undesirable markings, see the white marks? A blue Great Dane should be a solid colour. He'll be sold as a stud when he's older but he can't be shown."

"So because he's got white toes he won't get a home?" Grimmjow couldn't believe his ears, the pup in question nuzzling at his fingers to make him continue scratching him.

"Pretty much, he hasn't got a name either; the master didn't want to become too attached in case someone decided on having him for a pet. Problem with these big dogs is that it's not common.

The pup was growling at him as he teased him with another treat, the developing dog's lungs bigger than he looked. The growl was deep and loud but ended with a puppy bark. "Diesel. You should call him Diesel."

Starrk just smiled at him. He opened the pen holding the small pups and they ran out, waiting in a pile by the door. Starrk grabbed a blue leash, tossing it to Grimmjow. "You want to take him out? He's better behaved than this rabble; he's been here long enough. See what you can get him to do."

Grimmjow leaned down and clipped the leash onto the dog's leather collar before lifting the large pup out of the pen, surprised with the weight. The dog came up to his upper thigh, still not near the height of his mother who was up and stretching, taking the chance to move freely without being attacked by her litter.

They walked out into the sunshine, the well trained dog staying at his heel. Grimmjow sat on the grass near his window, the pup sitting in front of him. He got the dog to beg for a treat with both paws, shake and lie down. That was the only tricks he knew dogs performed but he bet Starrk had trained more into his dogs, Grimmjow would just have to pay attention more when he was out training.

Starrk blew his whistle once, stopping the dogs in their tracks making them sit straight, even Diesel was sitting facing his trainer. Starrk fished his phone out of his jeans pocket, frowning as he read something from it.

"Grimmjow we need to go. Get the dog back into its pen." Starrk headed back to the dog house, his students following at his heels. They went straight to their pen and sat waiting as he grabbed at two bowls, filling them quickly with some dry kibble and put them into the pen. Grimmjow lifted Diesel back into his pen before accepting a third bowl from Starrk for the dog.

The two men rushed to the main house, Grimmjow following at the man's heels, unsure of the emergency. As the re-entered the house Starrk whirled on him. "Look, do I need to escort you back to your cell or can I trust you are going to be on your best behaviour?"

"I'll behave, what's happening?"

Starrk started walking again. "The master is returning, and we are not expecting guests, something that doesn't happen often. It will require you to just stand and obey any command you are given directly. Do not speak to anyone out of turn, including me and especially not the master." The two men reached a staircase, it leading up two flights onto another white corridor. Starrk opened a door near the top of the stairs and let him out into the main house again. The corridor they came into was opulent to say the least, light fittings done in gold leaf, white mouldings along the picture rail and paintings hanging at set distances. Starrk pushed open a large white door, waiting till the other man entered before shutting it behind them.

The room was clearly a bedroom, a large bed against one wall. The other side of the room had a large flat screened television on the wall and two white sofas round a low table just under it. Starrk went straight to a sliding robe, pushing the mirror to the side, revealing a hanging rail filled with dark coloured suit jackets. "Look, they are going to be snug round your shoulders, I can see that shirt you are wearing is stretched a bit but it'll have to do." Starrk threw a black suit onto the bed, before lifting a dark charcoal one out and hanging it on the hook at the side. He opened the other side of the wardrobe and pulled a white and a black shirt out, throwing the black one onto the bed. He got to his knees, scrabbling in a shoe rack. He bulled a brown pair out before looking at Grimmjow's feet for a second.

"Do you know what size feet you are? They look bigger than mine."

"Eh, the last pair of shoes I had were an eleven, but that was two years ago."

"I think you're out of growth spurts by now. Right I'll see if Zomm has a pair you can borrow, he's a twelve but it's better than too small." Starrk went back to the door, glancing back in for a second. "Don't just stand there, get changed."

Grimmjow looked around the room, realising he was in Starrk's bedroom, the head slave living like a noble himself. Looking at the clothes on the bed, he could tell there were expensive just from the fabric. He stripped off his t-shirt, leaving it on the bed before reaching for his jeans; they dropped to the floor as he pulled the trousers from the hanger. They were fitted to the rear but a good length on him and comfortable enough in the waist. Grimmjow knew he'd lost weight in the last two years with the lean diet given to fighters but he was still not quite as skinny as his new boss. The man seemed to have little muscle mass. Grimmjow was sliding the shirt on as Starrk reappeared, a pair of black shoes in his hands. He dropped them at the other's feet before stripping down to his underwear, Grimmjow pausing in buttoning his shirt to appreciate the view. The man might have looked skinny in his clothes, but every inch of him was toned. His arms were sculpted, not like the corded limbs on his own body but they were nice. The long legs were equally toned and quickly covered with the grey trousers.

Starrk was not oblivious to the looks he was being given by his new slave. He slid the white shirt up, leaving it unbuttoned as he approached the other man. He reached out fastening the top button on the black shirt before whipping a black tie round the blue haired man's neck. He flicked the collar of the shirt up before quickly tying a neat double Windsor, smoothing the collar down over it. He leaned in closer to fasten the collar point buttons, putting his face just at Grimmjow's, the other breathing onto his forehead. When he straightened, he didn't pull back and hovered, right in front of him.

It was Grimmjow that put them both out of their misery, leaning in to press his lips onto the other man gently. Starrk's hands clutched at his jaw, tilting his head slightly to deepen the kiss and pull his body in. Grimmjow's hands slid under the open shirt, ghosting up the bare back, holding him as he thoroughly kissed him back.

A knock to the door broke their lips apart, neither releasing the other from their arms at first. They looked back at each other before they broke apart, a pink blush covering Grimmjow's face as he backed away. Starrk winked at him as he went to the door, buttoning his shirt as he went.

Szayel stood on the other side, dressed in a pale grey suit with a black on black shirt and tie. "Are you not ready yet? They are nearly here!"

Starrk just nodded at the other man, tucking in the now fastened shirt. He sat on the floor to pull on his brown shoes before snatching his black tie, threading it round his neck and quickly tying it. He grabbed his jacket off the hanger as Grimmjow finished tying his shoes, grabbing his own from the bed. Both men slung them on as they left the room, Grimmjow trying to not strain the fabric too much with his broad shoulders. The three men dashed down the hall, coming to the grand staircase before they trotted down it. Tia was already in the room, fussing with Yammy's jacket as they came to the front. The remaining eight main members of the household, Grimmjow included, but Nnoitra and Zommari missing stood in a line just inside the door, the older butler Barrigan waiting at the door. Starrk stepped to the front, casting an eye over his staff. He gestured to Grimmjow, Tia looking at what he meant. She stepped over to the man and ran her fingers through his hair, smoothing his lapel and straightening the yoke of the jacket better over his shoulders.

She stepped back in line just as Barrigan opened the door, the sight of the dark grey town car pulling in front of the house. Zommari got out and opened the door so that the master and his security man could leave the vehicle. The master stormed into the house, fury written on his face. Grimmjow frowned at the sight of what looked like bruising on the master's neck.

Starrk seemed to also notice, and he stepped forward, glancing out the door to make sure the visitor still hadn't arrived. He put one hand on the master's shoulder while the other lifted his chin, letting the older man see his neck.

"What happened? Are you alright?"

"I'm fine, just a bruise." He looked up into his head slave's eyes and wrapped his hand round the wrist at his face. Starrk leaned his head forward and touched his forehead to his master's. "I'm sorry for the short notice but Renji insisted on visiting today after the meeting, I did try to put him off. I think Gin might be coming as well. Aizen tried to force and invite but Tousen couldn't make it so Aizen just left me with a little parting gift." He rubbed at his neck a bit. Starrk caught his hand before he could do anymore damage.

Szayel approached his master, taking the man's elbow. "Let's ice that before it gets any worse. Starrk can show your guests to the drawing room while I prepare the refreshments."

The master nodded, allowing the pink haired man to draw him away, Starrk having one last fleeting touch of his hand.

Grimmjow watched as the man he'd thought could be his, pined after another as they left the room. It confused the slave more and he realised he'd been nothing but confused the entire time he'd been here. The master offered him a brief smile in passing, the glance at his clothes ending in them meeting each other's eyes. Confusing didn't cover this situation.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Starrk returned to the head of the line, purposely not looking in Grimmjow's direction. He knew he was confusing the other, but the situation was more complicated than he had time to explain.

"One day I am going to wrap my hands around that prick's neck see if he likes it." Starrk spoke under his breath but it carried to all of the slaves in the hall, Nnoitra nodding in agreement. The tall slave was looking infuriated, obviously the fact he couldn't protect his master had got to him.

Another car pulled up outside and in walked the red head, wide smile on his face as he pulled his coat off, dropping it basically on top of Barrigan. The noble walked past the line of slaves, not acknowledging any of them until he was in the centre of the room.

"Sir, let me show you to the drawing room. My Lord has stepped out for a moment to see to some personal matters, he will return in a moment. Can I offer sir something to drink?"

Starrk disappeared into the large room on the right, pausing to hold the door open for the noble and the door closed as the man entered.

Nnoitra snorted, running his tongue over his wide teeth as he regarded the closed door. "Ass." The insult was quiet but clearly directed at the master's guest.

Tia turned to the tall security slave. "What really happened, that was getting worse as he stood there."

"That dick Aizen had his arm around my lord's shoulder and when he hesitated over the invite he gripped him too tight. The other hand wrapped round the front and he dragged him in. If he'd kissed him I'd've taken his head off." Nnoitra clenched his fists.

"And that would have done what?" Szayel appeared in the hall, fixing his hair as he walked. "My lord is in with his guest with a few canapés, I did what I could with the bruise though."

"Is it getting worse?"

"I don't know, we'll have to get another sample sent off. He's got another chest infection coming on though, as much fun as they are."

The group around Grimmjow seemed to take that news poorly, each of their expressions darkening. Szayel saw the look on his face and explained for him. "My lord has a blood condition, it means he bruises easily and it gives him the nose bleed when he is stressed. It makes him susceptible to other things too and he's  _such_  a good patient." Grimmjow smirked at the sarcasm in the other's voice.

A third car pulled up, a sleek fast one from the sounds of it and a second later Barrigan opened the door for the wide smiling face of Gin Ichimaru.

"My thanks Barrigan."

"You're welcome sir. May I take your coat?" The older butler accepted the heavy red article and gave a short bow before taking his leave.

"Ah, Tia, you are looking lovely as ever, where is your young charge?"

"Thank you sir, sleeping sir. I hope you are well." Tia bobbed a curtsy keeping her face low. The silver haired man nodded back at her.

"Nnoitra, Szayel, you are looking tense, is Starrk in with Ichigo?"

"Yes sir, they are in the drawing room, would you like me to show you the way?" the pink haired slave answered for them, the taller man still fuming a bit.

"I think I know the way. Ah, is this the new slave? The fighter he adopted?" Gin zeroed in on the stranger in the room, approaching him quickly.

Grimmjow stood still, keeping his gaze low as the man approached him. He knew the Count by reputation only and it didn't leave him anxious for the attention.

"What is his name?" Gin directed his question at Szayel, glancing over his shoulder at the pink haired slave.

"Grimmjow, sir."

"Ah, Grimmjow good to meet you. I bet you know who I am though."

Grimmjow's eyes flickered up involuntarily, and he darted them back down as the met the nearly closed eyes of the noble in front of him.

"God he's a gorgeous one. I can't believe Kaname was wasting him in the pits. He could be a stud."

A stud was a slave whored out by his masters, usually to the older ladies of the court, or to the gentlemen. They tended to be the small pretty ones, but a handsome larger male was desired sometimes.

The skin on Grimmjow's shoulders crawled as the man in front of him appraised the view and when he walked towards the drawing room door, Grimmjow almost panted with relief. Nnoitra stepped up next to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You did well, Ichimaru can be unbearable. At least he acknowledges us as living beings unlike that Abarai. Come on, we won't be needed for a while let's make a break for it." The tall slave drew him back up the staircase, and to a room three down from Starrk's.

It was similar inside, except a different colour, the walls a mossy green with the furnishings being a deeper green, with burgundy leather upholstery on the couches. The tall gangly male slumped onto the big corner sofa, patting the seat next to him for the other man. As Grimmjow joined him, Nnoitra loosened his tie off and unsnapped his top button. Grimmjow perched on the edge of the sofa, the current situation not being something he knew how to deal with. The thought of spending free time with another slave was unheard of, the last two years he'd been isolated unless he was trying to kill someone.

Nnoitra reached out and dragged the slave back towards him, leaning the blue haired slave on the comfortable back of the sofa with a long arm draped across the leather. "Relax Blue, you're safe in here. Szayel will get us before we are missed."

The pair sat in companionable silence for a while before Nnoitra grabbed a remote and turned the TV on to a music channel, the low volume just enough to be a distraction. "Come on Blue, ask me whatever you want."

Grimmjow turned his head to the other, frown in place.

"You're wearing Starrk's suit, and allowed to greet guests so that puts you in a new position and it means I'm allowed to talk to you properly. Don't know how you got on the boss's good side so quickly. Master seems to be overly fond of you too."

"He read to me."

"Who Starrk?"

"No, the master, he came and sat outside my window and read a story, something about Hobbits and dragons. I am so out of my depth it's not funny. How do you relearn everything quickly?"

"You been in service all your life?" The other nodded in response. "Me too, I was an orphan sold into a household as a kitchen boy. Then I started having stupid growth spurts and got really clumsy for a few years." The man held up his other hand, gesturing to his fingers with his eye. "I nearly lost two of my fingers after dropping a glass dish and being made to pick it up bare handed." Grimmjow could see the thick scars round the other's pointer and middle fingers. Grimmjow looked back up to the other's face, eyes jumping to the eye patch but not wanting to ask. Nnoitra chuckled dryly, scarred fingers running over the black fabric. "This wasn't an accident. This was a punishment from an old master, one who felt reducing me to single vision was an equal to me damaging his car. Not that I damaged his car, he fell out drunk and slammed the door into a wall, I just hadn't been quick enough to stop it."

Grimmjow winced in sympathy. "Yeah I know how it feels, not that I had an eye taken."

"Did the Baron really have his hand wrapped round your dick making you drop the bottle?"

Grimmjow snorted at the memory, seeming so far away as he sat on the comfortable sofa. "Yeah, he made me serve him topless and would run his hands over me whenever he liked. I was about to pour him a refill when he grabbed me, and I dropped the ugly thing in shock. The next thing I knew I was in the pit. Two years later and I'm here."

"You did well to live for two years in the arena; I've known slave's who've barely lasted one." Nnoitra dropped his arm to the other's shoulders in support, Grimmjow leaning against him slightly. After years of neglect, and a miserable childhood, Grimmjow seemed to be unable to ignore the slightest human contact.

"Well, I thought that fight was going to be my last. I had decided that the day before. Then before it, I'm dragged out of the pit and thrown into a room with the strangest master I've ever met, being told I now belong to him before he tends to me, then hits me. I was so mad I nearly ripped the other guy's throat out."

"Ah ha! That's why he did it then." Nnoitra exclaimed before he sat back smugly.

"What, who did what?"

"The master, that's why he struck you, he must have seen you on the verge of giving in and he decided he'd rather you hated him and live, than die. He is a bit of a strange one I'll give you that."

"Do you care for the master? You all seem to be very close."

"Yeah, I love the master, he's funny and caring; he keeps us better than any slave has ever been kept."

"But you are still slaves, and he still strikes you."

Nnoitra huffed, turning towards the man, trying to get his point across. "The master  _does not_  hit us. He has a reputation of being an asshole, and we've helped him get there. He appears to beat us in public, only to scare others away, to make it seem like he's a sociopath just so we are left alone."

"I saw him slap Tia the day of the fight. She was on the floor."

"I taught him myself how to hit without hurting the other. Any bet it made a beauty of a noise but she would have only felt a sting. The master loves us, we're his family."

Grimmjow shook his head, the information seeping into his brain slowly. His hand drifted to the hand on his shoulder and he stroked at the skin there before the long fingers laced with his own. He sat still after that, not knowing how to deal with it. Starrk had seemed like a dream come true, handsome and seemed to like him with his jokes and small touches. The seen in the entry way blew all his fantasies out of the water, the head slave clearly taken by the master. Grimmjow didn't know if it was mutual, or whether Starrk just held him in high regard. The slave had kissed him though, and it had been a damn good kiss for all the length of it, but now he is lying with another man, snuggled up in his arms. Twenty two years of no comfort or compassion from another person and in one day he has basically thrown himself at two strangers.

The hand in his squeezed, the arm around his shoulders tightening slightly. "What's up? You've gone all quiet and tense."

Grimmjow just shook his head, pulling his hand free gently and sitting forward. "Nothing, just a bit confused still."

"Ooo, that's an icy breeze coming from that cold shoulder, did I do something wrong?" Nnoitra sat forward, mirroring Grimmjow with his forearms on his knees; he made sure to lean his thigh up along the other man's and press their shoulders together.

Grimmjow exhaled loudly, standing up and walking over to the wall, hiking one leg up against it, arms folded over his chest. No you didn't do anything wrong, I'm sure  _here_  it's alright to sit close and hold each other, but,"

Nnoitra got up, sensing the emotion in the other hovering between fury and fear. "But what, what are you afraid of?" He walked over to the man, standing close but not touching. Grimmjow looked up at him, pressing the palms of his hands on the wall behind him. "I get it you're not used to being chummy with your fellow slaves, but I can tell you like it when I touch you." He leaned in, one long fingered hand ghosting down the side of the other's face.

Grimmjow snatched the hand of his face, holding it between them. Fury laced his words, making them harsher than he initially meant. "Can you tell I've  _never_  been touched before as well? Can you see that the only time someone has  _ever_  laid hands on me is to push, scratch or hit me? Then there's you, and Starrk and even the master, touching me, stroking me and speaking to me kindly, feeding me things I've only ever dreamed of; that palace you call a bathroom and then you each having rooms like these to call your own? How can this be real? How can this be happening?" Grimmjow was shouting, frustration pouring out of his skin.

"You want to know that this is real? Let me show you." Nnoitra pushed the joined hands against the wall at the side of Grimmjow's head before pushing his lips onto the other's, diving in with force, taking Grimmjow's breath away. He broke away for a moment. "If no one has ever touched you, let me be the first. I promise not to bite, too hard anyway." He captured the lips again enjoying the fight that came this time, the other man pushing to dominate the kiss.

Grimmjow felt his blood boil at the other's words and deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue into the waiting mouth, toying with Nnoitra's own long thin tongue. Long fingers pulled at his tie, yanking it down so the top buttons could be popped on the blue haired man's shirt, exposing his sharp collar bones. Nnoitra nudged Grimmjow's head over with his straight nose and licked his way down the now exposed throat till he could wrap his mouth around the big muscle at the base. He sank his teeth in, not enough to break the skin, but enough to make Grimmjow's knees weak. A knee pressed between his legs, giving him a bit of support but also giving him stimulation where he needed it most. The leg moved gently, rubbing him exactly the right way and made him drop his head to the shoulder in front of him.

Nnoitra stopped his attack on the collar bone, grinning down at the wanton look on the other's face. "Not all touches are bad, some can be good," Nnoitra ran his nose along Grimmjow's jaw line, nuzzling at the hollow under his ear. "And some can be amazing." He pressed his groin against the other man's, both feeling the evidence of their acts rubbing against the other, bringing a low groan from them both. Nnoitra lessened his grip, backing away gently before pressing a gently peck on the slightly bruised lips. "I don't want to pressure you, but know the offer is _always_ there."

Grimmjow stood staring at the other man, still panting, clothes akimbo and probably bruises on his neck from the overzealous kisses.

"Something you probably should know about this household, we share everything, including ourselves, freely. If you are not interested then please say so, no one here will force you to do anything you don't want and a few here don't take any pleasure from each other except companionship; but I don't want you to think you are alone here."

"So, you and the other slaves couple together?"

"Not just couple sometimes, the beds are quite big after all; sometimes a triple can be fun." Nnoitra winked at him as he fixed his top button and tie so they lay neat once more.

Grimmjow attempted to do the same but felt like he was totally mussed still. Yet another idea to get his head around, but he couldn't get the image of himself, Nnoitra and Starrk all together out of his head.

_iiiiiiii_

Ichigo tried to sigh as quietly as he could, listening to Renji talk about the amount of money he'd made betting on his fighters the other night at the Blood party. He'd even made a small pile betting on Ichigo's new slave, sure his friend would pick a good one and he hadn't been disappointed.

Ichigo had been able to remain silent for most of the visit, Renji more than able to fill a silence, with Gin adding in quick witted remarks to make him chuckle. Starrk had remained in the room, standing at his shoulder like a statue. Ichigo knew his head slave and friend was unhappy with the marks on his neck, he wasn't too impressed with them either but he'd been unable to avoid them; and it hadn't been that hard a grab, his stupid skin bruising like a peach after all. Aizen had been after him for about a year now, the casual glances turned to offhand touches a few months ago and the slight innuendoes were now blatant invitations. Today he'd wrapped an arm around his shoulder, before gripping his neck, twisting his head up like he was going to kiss him. Thankfully they had been alone at the time, even Nnoitra hadn't really seen the exchange before he managed to wrench free, probably giving himself the bruises if he really thought about it.

Apparently since he wasn't perusing any of the ladies who had been throwing themselves at him meant Ichigo was looking for some male attention, and Aizen was so sure he was everyone's' first choice and Ichigo was really just playing shy. A little part wondered how the older man would push his approach, where would he stop if the other wasn't willing but he didn't really want to find out.

Finally the conversation took a different angle but this wasn't any more enjoyable, Renji talking about his new slave, and Gin chipping in with his thoughts. Apparently the silver haired noble found the ex-fighter attractive and congratulated him in his acquisition. Renji then demanded to see him for himself, wanting to laugh and scoff probably, like it was a new horse or a dog. Ichigo wouldn't allow that to happen under his roof and the redhead would have plenty of opportunity to see the slave at events, if he proved himself enough. The first steps had clearly been made and seeing him standing there in the black clothes fitting him like a skin had made him smile, feeling like he'd done something right. He still felt responsible for the man's distrust and was keeping his distance till Starrk was more comfortable with him.

It hadn't stopped him taking old Fawn out to lie in the sun in the late mornings when he was free to read his favourite book from childhood. The first day he'd considered just sitting there, but the dog-eared copy sat on his desk so he'd grabbed it before plonking down right by his window, belting out the first few lines. Anyone would think he was insane to read to a slave but it had been nice and the man seemed content to listen to him. He'd only managed down three times, and only for about half an hour but maybe he'd get some time with him this afternoon.

Renji and Gin took their leave in the early afternoon, both pleading other tasks to complete. Ichigo slumped back into his chair as they left the room, Starrk showing the men to their cars before returning to see his master's feet up on the expensive mahogany table. Rolling his eyes he walked over, lifting the offending limbs before sitting on the table, propping the legs on his lap.

Szayel appeared a second later to clear the dishes, a smirk on his face. Ichigo smiled back before asking what was so funny.

"How to get rid of unwanted guests? Don't feed them at meal times. Makes them run for their own homes like they hadn't seen food for days."

Ichigo laughed quietly. "I always knew you were the smart one here. God do I sound like him ever; even when I'm playing lord, cause I think you should shoot me if I do." Ichigo shielded his eyes for a moment with a hand before balling it into a fist to catch a cough. He pulled a handkerchief out a second later to catch the next series of coughs, lifting his legs so he was able to sit forward. He balled the fabric in his hand to hide it before stuffing it into his jacket pocket. He could feel his lungs were a bit full and sticky but wasn't in the mood for being forced to his bed. A glass of water appeared in front of him, held by Szayel who looked most unimpressed.

Ichigo took it, sipping it gently to ease his throat. "I'm fine."

"And I'm the Countess Shinhoin."

Ichigo grinned back, images of the gorgeous countess flooding his mind. She was well endowed, with skin like dark coffee and long violet hair. Her bright tawny eyes were her best feature, the wicked glint in them promising all bad things. If Ichigo had been looking for some female companionship, he might have taken her up on one of her many offers.

Ichigo stood, handing the water back. "Right I'm going to get out of this suit, try and enjoy the rest of the day. Where did Grimmjow go, back to his cell?"

"No, he and Nnoitra disappeared upstairs, I'm assuming to Nnoitra's room."

Ichigo nodded; glad the new slave was making friends with the family. "How is he doing Starrk, can we get him his own room yet?"

"I would say so, but I still insist on it being locked at night."

Ichigo smiled. "Overprotective much?"

"Rather that than have regrets about being too slack." Starrk ran his fingers down the side of Ichigo's face, tracing the bruises on his neck.

Ichigo dropped the smile on his face, looking at the carpet at his feet for a moment. He looked back up, forcing a half smile on his face. "Can you sort him out?"

"Of course, we'll have to go and get him his own stuff though, my clothes fit his height, but his shoulders have probably burst the stitching on my black suit."

"He did look good in it though." Ichigo's smile came back full force, remembering the sight of the tanned skin and the brilliant blue hair standing out so much against the pure black outfit. "We can go out tomorrow; I need to replace my pale grey suit anyway. Sort out his room and take not of what he needs."

"You don't have all of tomorrow to shop my lord; I have made you an appointment with the doctor again."

Ichigo rolled his eyes, groaning as he headed to the door to the hall. "Fine, I can leave Tia with my credit card and she can help him get the rest while you take me to the doctors, is that acceptable?"

"Such a child still Ichi."

"Can I point out that if you still think of me as a child then you are a dirty old man?" Ichigo smirked at the outraged face of his friend. He darted out the door, running the stairs as the sounds of pounding footsteps followed him. Starrk couldn't match him for speed, especially with a head start so he knew he could turn to taunt, just a little. "You're just proving that old man status right know you know that right? Don't break a hip gramps." Starrk was halfway up the first set of stairs as Ichigo topped the second, stopping again to glance down at him.

Starrk enjoyed the gleeful look on the younger man's face, still intending on catching the other though. Ichigo's laugh disappeared with him as he headed left and along to his room. The laughter cut off abruptly, ending with a low cry and a thump. Picking up his pace more, Starrk topped the stairs grabbing the corner to turn himself quicker.

Ichigo had been heading to his room, the door lockable even though his first had a key it would prove a bit of a barricade. He turned from the bannister and turned to run flat out, not expecting to see people in the corridor. He ran smack into the newest member of the family, feeling the man's hands grab his arms and his forehead strike the other's chin. The pair went down with a cry, Grimmjow trying to turn to take more of the blow than his master. Ichigo still bounced off the floor with his shoulder and hip, his head saved from more damage by a thick bicep but he didn't move at first.

Nnoitra and Starrk were on the floor next to him in a heartbeat, calling his name as they tried to untangle the two men.

"Ichigo, god, Nnoitra help me get Grimm off him."

Grimmjow hadn't been as lucky in the fall and had struck his head on the hard floor, dazing him slightly. He felt the hands on him, pulling him up and he tried to help, ending up sitting against the wall as his vision cleared. He saw the dipped orange head of his master, one hand clutching at his forehead while the other was being held by his security guard.

Grimmjow's blood ran cold as he saw a tinge of red underneath his master's hand, meaning he'd damaged a noble. He threw himself on the floor, pressing his face to the wood in hopes of avoiding a beating. Words of the other slaves came back to him, of how they would destroy him if he looked at the master the wrong way and then this happened. Accident or not it would still be his fault.

"I'm sorry master."

Grimmjow's quiet plea was heard by the three men, the two slaves fussing over their master, who was knocking their hands away with a rueful grin on his face, it was after all his own fault. He pressed a clean handkerchief against the small cut on his forehead, knowing there was going to be a cracker of a bruise on it later. He felt twinges in a couple of other parts on his body but it was nothing major, he was used to being in some degree of pain from bruises and sprains from his condition.

He turned to the man prostrating himself on the floor, hearing the despair in the other's voice. Seeing the proud slave shaking on the floor he couldn't help himself but to crawl to him and pull him up, drawing his face to look at him.

The cerulean eyes were clearly terrified and he flinched back when Ichigo lifted his hand. Holding his hand for a moment, he paused before running his fingers through the other's hair, down his head before running his thumb over the red mark on the sharp chin. "Are you alright?"

Grimmjow pulled away from the grip, a lifetime of conditioning deafening him to what was said to him. "I am sorry master; I didn't mean to get in your way."

"Hey," Ichigo tried to pull the slave back up, but the other resisted at first. " _Hey!_  It was my fault, I ran in to you cause I wasn't looking where I was going. No one is going to hurt you; no one will _touch_  you again if I can help it." Grimmjow looked up into his eyes, uncertainty in his expression. Ichigo looked up at the other men standing just behind him, Starrk offering him a hand up. The young noble nodded his thanks before reaching down and offering the other man a hand up himself, the slave looking at the outstretched hand like it was a snake. "Come on, I need to get cleaned up, and you could use an ice pack too. Szayel is going to freak." Ichigo finally got the other slave on his feet and they headed back to the stairs before Ichigo felt his knees wobble, a hand going to his swimming head. Nnoitra put a hand on his back to support him.

"Ichi, why don't you go to your room and I'll get Szayel to come to you. Grimm and Starrk will go with you; I don't think you should risk stairs at the moment."

The orange haired man nodded his agreement, turning and heading to his room, the large door right at the end of the corridor.

Grimmjow followed the other two into the room, turning in shock as he saw his master's quarters. It made the rooms of the other slaves look plain and simple. The large area was split into three distinct sections; a large bed to the left through an arch way, the centre area was a sitting room with large French doors out onto a balcony and the right hand side taken over by a massive walk in wardrobe. A door to the side of that was slightly ajar and from the tiling on the wall, it looked like the master's private bathroom. Two large dog beds sat just inside the arch to the sleeping area and out of one trotted a large black and white Great Dane, the large head mostly white with one raggy black splodge over her right eye and ear. Ichigo rubbed his hand on his dog's head, the dog leaning against him as her whip like tail drifted back and forth.

Walking over to the couches in the middle, the dog accompanied them and sat at her master's feet, lying across them but leaving her head high enough to be scratched.

"This is Willow; she's Cloud's sister and my champion dog. Not that being a champion makes her any better than her sister."

Grimmjow liked the look on his master's face when he was with his dogs, the large dog closing her eyes as her ears were rubbed. Grimmjow found his lap filled by a large sandy coloured head a second later, the older dog wanting some attention too. He ran a hand over her delicately and heard a low snort from the dog's trainer who was coming out of the bathroom with a face cloth in his hand.

"She won't eat you, y'know Grimm." He smiled as he sat next to the master and cleaned off his face. Grimmjow winced as he was the purple bruise on the man's face, a swollen lump around it. The man's hair covered the worst of it but it wasn't pretty.

Szayel and Nnoitra entered the room without knocking, the pink haired man carrying a bag, Nnoitra holding a basin. "What the hell have you been doing now; didn't I tell you to take it easy today?" The pseudo doctor shook his head as he pushed the hair away from the wound. "Well you don't need stitches this time, what did you fall on?"

"Him." Ichigo pointed at the blue haired slave, Szayel snapping his head round with a fierce look on his face. "I ran my head into his chin to escape Starrk."

Szayel closed his eyes, taking a deep breath before asking his next question. "And why were you running away from Starrk?"

"Cos I called him an old man and bolted."

"Actually he called me a dirty old man."

"Shut up, you'll take it out of context; anyway I ran away and was just telling him that he was too old to catch me when I ran into Grimmjow's chin."

"Did you happen to hit anything else?"

"Eh, no?"

Szayel tossed an ice pack to Nnoitra telling him to treat Grimmjow's bruised chin before bullying the master out of his jacket and shirt to look at his shoulder. Another bruise was blooming there, marring the pale skin. Grimmjow sat, holding the ice pack to his face as his master stripped off his clothes right in front of him. Thankfully the ice pack had a towelling cover, to catch the drool as he watched the lithe form unwrap itself. The man had a balance of toned muscle to slimness that made him breath taking. Starrk held another icepack to the bruise on the shoulder as Szayel ran his hands over the master's legs, stopping as the noble hissed as he prodded his hips.

"You do know this is quicker and less painful if you just tell me where it hurts?"

"Yeah but where is the fun in that?"

Szayel shook his head, pulling the noble up and stripping the black trousers off him. He pulled the patent shoes off the feet to allow the trousers to be fully removed before pulling at the thigh muscle to see the damage. "Well I'll say this, when you tackle someone you really do the job properly, you are going to be sore tomorrow." Szayel pulled a large tube out of his bag, squeezing a ball of green gel out before smoothing it up the thigh. Ichigo hissed and leaned into Starrk, allowing his leg to be lifted and getting some support by tucking his head under the older man's chin. Grimmjow looked at the pair, Starrk's steely blue eyes looking straight into his. The brunette's arm was wrapped around his master, holding the ice pack against his far away arm as the noble pressed into him. Szayel rubbed the gel over the bruised area, underneath the tight white trunks as well, the gel marking the fabric as it touched.

Nnoitra was sitting next to Grimmjow on the sofa, and after relinquishing the ice pack to the other man, he sat with his arm along the back of the chair behind him. It reminded Grimmjow of their actions in the other's room and made him flush a bit. He leaned back, purposefully into the other's arm, just enough to connect with him and he felt the long fingers rub at his shoulder.

Szayel had moved onto the injured shoulder, the menthol of the gel now reaching Grimmjow's nose meaning it was reducing the swelling, cooling the injuries as well as easing the pain a bit. He'd never got to use it before but he knew what it was.

The small cut on the master's forehead was deemed too small to bother with but because of the open would he couldn't use the gel on the bruise, it would nip it too much. Ichigo was left holding an ice pack on his face, staring across at Grimmjow doing the same.

"Did I mention I was sorry for running in to you?"

Grimmjow blinked at him, a noble just apologised to him. He felt Nnoitra grip his shoulder and he glanced at the taller man for a second, no knowing what to do. "Master, I promise I didn't mean you to come to any harm, if there is anything I can do to help you or to make up for it I will." When the master moved towards him, Grimmjow instantly sat forward holding his gaze at the floor between his feet. A pair of bare knees came into his vision, and he drifted his eyes up the long lean legs, tracing his eyes over the toned muscles under the pale skin. He tried to miss staring at the private area of his master, but the skin just outside the boxers was translucent, the veins going up into his groin visible. He scanned over the boxers, the deep red band holding them up sitting below an inny button with a thin trail of dark orange hair disappearing under it. Sharp pelvic bones sat above the elastic, the muscles between defined and leading up to shaped abdominals and then pectorals, a small rosy nipple sitting on each of them. Sharp collar bones led to a narrow throat and up to a face, looking concerned but vaguely amused at the same time. Grimmjow was sure his perusal of his master's body had only taken a half second to process but the look on his master's face told him otherwise.

"You are not listening to me, you did nothing wrong. But I understand that this is my own fault, I made you scared of me, of retaliation." Ichigo pushed himself up using the couch at the side of Grimmjow to help his sore body. He walked toward his sleeping area, the large dog getting up and following him. Pausing at the arch way the noble turned round, hiding his face in the shadow of his hair and of the door. "Starrk, sort him out into his own room, make sure he is comfortable, anything he needs. Please." The noble finished walking away, shoulders' slumped.

Starrk groaned under his breath, dropping his head into his hands. Nnoitra rubbed at Grimmjow's back, trying to ease some of the slave's anguish. Szayel just continued to clean up his kit, throwing the used ice packs back into the basin before turning to the blue haired slave. He tilted his head up, looking at the bruise on Grimmjow's chin for a second before gripping the other's shoulder, first for affection, then used it to stand up.

"I think you'll live. Any other complaints?"

Grimmjow just shook his head, returning the icepack to his throbbing jaw. Szayel raised his eyebrow, clearly not believing him but not willing to push the matter. He made his excuses and left the other three in the room, staring at each other.

Starrk eventually stood up, gesturing to the other two men to follow him. Walking down from the master's room, past his own and Nnoitra's, Starrk stopped outside the next door, pulling a set of keys out of his pocket to unlock the door. A similar room to the two other slaves was revealed, done in greys and cool blues to make the room seem big and airy, slightly darker colours used on the wall behind the bed. The two sofas on the other side had low backs and wide seats, made more for lounging than sitting and were made of a deep navy, contrasting on the steel grey rug under them.

"Well, what do you think?" Starrk turned to Grimmjow, putting one hand on the other man's back to push him into the room more.

"I don't know, what am I supposed to think?" Grimmjow looked around the room, trying to spot some sign as to the occupant, perhaps Szayel.

"Well, if you don't like the colour we can change it."

Grimmjow turned to him, shock on his face. "This is for me?"

Starrk smiled at him as they walked further into the room. Nnoitra grabbed Grimmjow's shoulders, shoving him down as he passed, going to jump on the bed, bouncing up and down on his ass. Grimmjow looked around him, taking in the mirrored robes, three sliding doors, the one in the middle having a patterned panel rather than glass. They faced the bed, covered in a grey marled cover and the sofas across the room, plenty of room between them. A large window sat in the wall at the sofas looking out the back of the house, the dogs' building in view. He realised he was pretty much directly above the cell he'd been kept in. He pressed his hands against the glass, trying to take in the fact he had his own bedroom, after years of sharing barracks, or living in a cage this was unreal, and he wondered for a moment if he'd died that day in the arena, dreaming everything since. He stumbled back from the view, ending up perched on the arm of one of the couches as his brain processed this recent development. A long arm was slung around his shoulders and he was pulled in against Nnoitra's body, savouring the shared warmth from the man. Starrk came and stood at his other side, looking ruefully at the other two.

"I take it you two got close?"

Nnoitra pulled him in a bit closer, smirking down at his boss. "Just being friendly boss, that's all. Tried to explain to him how we work around here, but didn't want to scare him too much."

Grimmjow looked up with an eyebrow raised. "You told me you all get together in orgies, and you didn't tell me everything?"

Starrk snorted, slouching down on the arm next to Grimmjow, meaning he was pressed right alongside the man. "Don't listen to him too much; you can do whatever you are comfortable with, with whoever you are comfortable with." Starrk reached out and laced his hand with Grimmjow's. "I hope I could be included in that group at some point."

"Why?" Grimmjow aimed the question at Starrk initially, but then opened it up to both of them. "Why are you bothering with me? If you have each other, and more, whoever, why would you include me?"

"Seriously, have you never looked in a mirror?" Nnoitra looked incredulously at the blue haired slave, whose shoulders slumped majorly when he said it. Nnoitra used his long fingers to lift the face up to his. "It's not just your face, or your body. It's who you are, you have been through quite a lot, and you still have bite to you. Plus there is your face, and your body." Nnoitra smiled wolfishly at him, easing the jibe slightly. He pulled the other in for a closed mouth kiss, just to feel him.

Grimmjow tilted his head, inhaling the other's scent at the same time. He was pulled away by the man on his other side, and straight into a lip lock with him, Starrk cupping the side of his face, sweeping his tongue along his lips. Grimmjow happily parted them, tasting the brunette properly for the first time. Nnoitra didn't sit idly; he pulled the suit jacket off the other, tossing it onto the low table at the wall, throwing his own after it. He pulled the blue haired man's body flush with his, angling his front towards Starrk as he started opening shirt buttons, pulling his tie down. Once he'd opened enough to give his hands free range, he yanked the shirt off a shoulder, exposing the tanned skin to his mouth once more.

Grimmjow felt the long cool hands of one man from behind him as the warmer ones from the man in front ran all over his body. The hard body behind him pressed harder, his ass pressing hard into the other's groin. Starrk threw one leg over the arm of the couch, pressing his front to Grimmjow's and aligning their private areas better. Nnoitra pulled his face away from Starrk's, filling his mouth with the long thin tongue as the previous occupant licked a path down the exposed neck, not stopping till he hit a dusky nipple, drawing it into his mouth. Grimmjow arched into the other, rubbing himself on both men as he moved, drawing a groan from them both. Nnoitra pulled Starrk up, pushing the grey jacket off the man and pulling him by the tie towards him. They kissed heatedly over Grimmjow's shoulder, their hands still exploring the new body. Both of them felt the smooth silky patches of scar tissue covering a lot of the torso between them, the man had been fighting for his life for two years after all.

Starrk pulled away, looking at the two faces, flushed with blood, and smiled. He turned to the newest lover, running a gentle hand through his hair. "You ok with this? I don't know what you are thinking, what you are wanting."

"I don't know what I'm thinking, or what I want; except that I want you, both."

Starrk pulled him in for another quick kiss. "Well we can definitely give it a try, could end up a bit violent depending on the roles." He pushed his stiff rod into the man in front, pulling him in by a hand wrapped round his ass. He brushed his knuckles over the third at the same time. "So tell me Grimm, are you a giver, a receiver, or do you like a bit of both?"

Grimmjow dropped his gaze, embarrassed at his lack of experience. He knew what the other was asking and he knew that he wanted to sink his dick into the other; he just felt with his history he should take the submissive role.

"Virgin." Nnoitra spoke fairly quietly, but as there was no other noise in the room, it felt a lot louder. Starrk snapped his face at the smirking black haired slave before returning his face to the other.

Grimmjow just wanted the ground to open up and swallow him, he'd been angry when he'd blurted out to Nnoitra that he'd never been touched before and he was mortified.

"God that's hot. And since you don't know, you'll just have to try it both ways to see what you think. It's a good thing too, cause Nnoitra prefers to be a giver; I'll take either role but to be honest," Starrk pulled his new conquest close, pressing his lips against the other. "I have imagined the feeling of you plunging your dick into me so much, I think I might just cum when you get close."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Grimmjow dived in for a searing kiss, running his hands all over the older man, wanting to rip the shirt off his body to feel the skin underneath. Long hands ran down the sides of his body, reminding him of the third, and the hands ran right to his thighs, strong thumbs sinking into the leg joints, brushing the sides of his balls.

Grimmjow was just coming to grips with the buttons on the white shirt in front of him when there was a burst of music from Starrk's trouser pocket. Nnoitra's voice was duskier than usual, and pleaded with the man to ignore it, but the brunette pulled the phone out of his pocket, breaking from the kiss to check it. Grimmjow just wrapped his arms around him, pulling him in closer so he could sink his teeth into the man's neck, the two bare chests now pressing together. Nnoita got busy rearranging their legs so they were all now straddling the arm of the chair, Grimmjow's ass pressed into his groin, and the other two crossing swords. Pulling the brunette's legs up and wrapping them around both him and the blue haired slave had Starrk finally dropping the phone to the couch as he pulled the taller man in for a passionate kiss, moaning into it as he felt the large hands on his skin, clutching and twisting it in his hands as he sucked on Starrk's neck.

Nnoitra ran both his hands down between the other two men, groping a dick in each he started rubbing them through the thin fabric as he rubbed himself right into the crack of Grimmjow's ass. Grimmjow lifted his head, moaning loudly at the stimulation and he dropped his head to the shoulder behind him. The other men wasted no time in laving affection all over his exposed skin, Starrk reaching to open his trousers as Nnoitra finished taking the shirt off.

Before they could get any further, a knock sounded to the door and as they hadn't latched it, the door swung open slightly. Szayel poked his head in a moment later, eyes lighting up at the display across the room and he came all the way in, closing the door behind him. "Oh my god you guys should sell tickets, seriously."

Nnoitra actually growled, hands gripping round Grimmjow's exposed body protectively.

Szayel just raised his eyebrow. "I am actually sorry to interrupt, believe me or not; but I don't suppose you have any idea where our lord and master has disappeared off to?"

That stopped all three men in their thoughts. Nnoitra moved Starrk's legs off him so the man didn't fall off the couch and stood up, adjusting his very evident erection without embarrassment. Starrk and Grimmjow helped each other get off the arm of the sofa and they turned to the pink haired slave, confusion on all three faces.

"We left him in his room heading to his bed. He told us to go and get Grimm a room set up so that's how we ended up here, how could we have lost him so quickly?"

Grimmjow looked round at the number one slave.

"Ichigo tends to take things to heart far too easily, the night he struck you at the fights, the stress of it was the reason he ended up collapsing; and now he's worried about running in to you, and your reaction to him was very clear you don't trust him."

Grimmjow went to speak but the brunette held his hand up, stalling him for a moment.

"No, I understand, it's not him you are afraid of really, it's just conditioning. Thing is he can't see it from our perspective, he's seen slaves in horrible conditions, Nnoitra, Tia, Yammy, Zomm, all were taken from their masters because he saw something in them he couldn't ignore, and he couldn't see them being treated like that anymore. But it doesn't let him in on a slave's perspective, the thing inside you that makes you flinch when a master raises a hand. It will take time, for you anyway. I don't think he'll  _ever_  stop caring. Or stop trying to make things better, even if it's just for us."

Grimmjow nodded, feeling more positive about his future, and now more worried about his new master. "So when he's a bit self-destructive, where does he go?"

Starrk over exaggerated a shrug, looking at his fellow slaves for support. "Depends really, he usually finds some work to do, to take his mind off it. He was found in the stables mucking out a few times, once doing dishes, but he hates that so I doubt it."

Starrk's phone beeped again, the man reaching over the back of the couch to pick it up; Szayel making a remark about him ignoring calls. "Zomm said the buggy's missing, meaning he's out in the fields."

Nnoitra snorted. "I know where he is; the south field's back fence was damaged and needed replacing. The posts and wire bundles are already out there. C'mon, we better go get him before he hurts himself."

The three house slaves all headed to the door, looking back when Grimmjow didn't automatically follow.

"You not coming Blue?" Nnoitra held the door open, waiting for the other man to come out.

"I don't know if I should. It's my fault he's upset, I don't want to make things worse."

The tall slave rolled his eyes, storming over to him, grabbing his shoulder to haul him to the door. "Look we've got one guilt ridden drama queen in the family, we don't need another. He's being stupid, you are being stupid, can you just stop so we can  _all_ have some fun for a change? And yes it is as simple as that, you stop blaming him, he might stop blaming himself, meaning you can stop blaming yourself. Problem solved." They were half way down the stairs at this point, turning to go through the left door under them, heading for the back door, the quick way. Outside, Zommari waited, the large black skinned man changed out of his suit and wearing black jeans and a long sleeved t shirt in a deep purple colour, setting the tone of his skin off. He offered his assistance but Starrk said the four of them could handle it. They walked round the house, passed the garden and patio and then the sports courts and finally passed the swimming pool. It was shaped like a distorted "8" shape and crystal clear. There was a smaller circular pool off to its side with seats on the inside that Grimmjow assumed was a hot tub. There was another building past that, larger than the dog house, with a different, but still recognisable animal smell.

_iiiiiii_

Ichigo swung the large hammer over his shoulder and back, hitting the post accurately. It thunked, before sliding in another inch under the ground. He was on his third post of seven after deciding on finding something that would make him sweat. The little tingle he'd felt in his room had gone but left him wanting some physical activity, even if he was relegated to hammering in fence posts.

He'd sank to his knees in front of the new slave, trying to get through to the other man. He'd felt the hot gaze travel up his body, making his hands itch to touch the other but he would never lay a hand on him, never again. The blue haired man was bigger than him, definitely stronger, with long lean legs and a trim body so he would be physically able to retaliate but when he'd lifted a hand to check his chin in the hallway, the flinch had nearly broken Ichigo's heart.

He loved his family, the one he had built anyway. He had found companionship and love in abandoned souls that other's found worthless, and he felt a kinship with them. He tried to make it so they didn't feel like a slave to him, even though it made him more of a slave because of it. He was restrained by society with what he could do outside of his own house; he would hate to think of what would happen if anyone found out about what happened within. Not only did he treat his slaves as equals, he was involved physically with more than one of them.

That had started almost by accident. He had been worried for Tia, a year after she'd come to his house she was still dreadfully unhappy. Not that she was unhappy with her treatment, or her new family but with her past, and what she'd lost. When he'd found out what she craved, and her fears about it, he'd helped her the only way he knew how, by giving her it, and the added security of it coming from him made the whole situation more wonderful.

It made him smile when he'd tried to explain to Starrk what he planned, the head slave outraged at first before understanding and supportive, especially over the technical parts.

Ichigo was broken out of his thoughts of the past by the sounds of hoof beats. He was surprised he'd got to do as much without the nanny service arriving to stop him. He knew they just cared, and were worried about him, but they only way to get him out of this mind-set was if he totally exhausted himself and some physical exercise outside was a good start.

Turning in the direction of the approaching horses for a moment, he spotted Nnoitra easily mounted on the large bay, his personal horse being one of the two in the stables that he could ride with his height. Starrk was mounted on a nearly pure white grey mare that Ichigo had broken in personally. The two horses came right up to him as he went back to his post, wanting to get it in properly before they confiscated his hammer.

Two more hits were all he got in before a long fingered hand wrapped round the shaft of the hammer, preventing the third. "Tch, call that straight? Think the horse could make a better job."

Ichigo turned with wry smile on his face. "Is that so? Well maybe if I didn't have the cavalry riding down my neck, I could concentrate on fixing my fence. What took you so long anyway? Thought someone would be out here with me before I got the kit ready." His smirk increased as all three men looked at each other, a little guilt over their faces. "Hmm, interesting that there is no answer to that one. Oh well I'll have to ask Szayel when we get back." Ichigo lifted a fourth post, laying it across his shoulder as he started to walk out the distance to the next point. "So, if you help me I guess we can get this done a little quicker."

"You are getting back to the house, and getting some clothes on before you get sick." Starrk went to take the post off him but he stepped back, smirking at him.

Ichigo had stripped his t-shirt off after getting it snagged on the broken fence when he'd cleared it. He was standing in just his old work jeans, torn at the knees and unidentifiable stains over most of them. A tan work belt hang loosely off his hips, the wire cutters and gloves he'd been using with the fencing hanging out of them. "I got too hot working, might have eventually taken the jeans off it I wouldn't have looked too stupid in my boxers and tool belt." The sun was still high overhead, drying the sheen of sweat he'd accumulated on his body. Ichigo felt the stares of the three men on his bare skin, and he looked his newest slave right in the eye.

The cerulean eyes broke away quickly, letting Ichigo know things were still not alright and the orange haired noble turned away from the group, a heavy feeling in his chest that had nothing to do with the looming infection. He lifted the post, slamming the pointed end into the ground with a force drawn mostly from anger. He then glared at Nnoitra, calculating the likelihood of getting his hammer back before the black-haired man shook his head, passing the heavy tool to Grimmjow.

Ichigo just threw his hands up before going over to the bale of fencing, kneeling at it to snip the bindings open. He might as well start attaching it to the posts he'd already done. Starrk joined him without a word, but pulled the gloves from his belt, dropping them on his hands. Ichigo swallowed the huff he wanted to express before sliding his hands into the protective wear, realising that bleeding out because of a cut to the hand was a stupid way to die, and Szayel would kill him anyway if he did more damage to himself today.

Between the two of them, the roll of fence was stapled to the post, the loud bang of the nail gun resonating on the air. As the roll was extended to the next pole, Ichigo looked up to see how the other two were doing with the posts, and nearly dropped the gun at the sight of Grimmjow, shirt on the ground and hammer swinging with ease over his head and into the post. What had taken Ichigo over seven strikes, was taking Grimm around three, his posts slamming into the ground. Ichigo missed the sly smile on Starrk's face, the first enjoying the almost drooling look on his master's face.

Starrk couldn't agree more, Grimmjow had an amazing body, almost opposite from his master's exposed torso with his skin so tanned and the muscles corded and ripped. The master's pale, unblemished skin looked soft in comparison but Starrk knew his body was rock hard.

Grimmjow and Nnoitra were working together, taking turns and finished the posts in record time. The pair took the chance to sit on the sun warmed grass near the other two, the four in companionable silence for a while.

"So what were you thinking about as you worked by yourself Ichi, you've normally get some peace of mind from nearly killing yourself." Starrk was holding the wire straight as his master punched the u-nails into the wood.

"To be honest, I was thinking about how we all came together, and was just thinking about Tia when you guys arrived."

"And what about our blonde beauty queen, anything in particular?"

"Just about how we finally got her some peace, and closure on her old life." Ichigo pushed down on the ground to help himself up, not wanting to struggle to his feet even though his body was starting to complain. His thigh muscle was screaming at him, as was the shoulder with the bruise. He started to unroll the fencing to the second to last post.

"Were you hoping for some inspiration as for how to help our dear Grimmjow?"

Ichigo snapped a nail in with a bit more venom than it really needed. "Maybe I would have if you hadn't interrupted.

Grimmjow seemed hesitant to speak, but Ichigo saw Nnoitra nudge him. "How did you help Tia my lord? Maybe I could help come up with something to help myself."

Ichigo leaned on the post, seemingly searching the wood for help with the next part. He found none and turned to sit, leaning against the unhelpful wood.

"Tia had been, abused in her previous post. She'd been a pleasure slave, a dancer really but one of the male slaves had got too close, he took advantage of her and she ended up pregnant. She was terrified at first but then as she realised how much she wanted to be a mother, she was happy. Her master was not however and he killed the child, forcing an abortion on her. I took her not long after that, the master not interested in a traumatised and depressed slave. When she finally told me that she longed for a child, but knew any child she had would just end up like her, a beautiful slave I did what I could." Ichigo shrugged, turning and shooting a final nail into the lost.

When the story didn't continue, Ichigo unrolling the fence to the last pole, Grimmjow spoke again. "Sorry my lord, would you continue?"

"Sorry, I thought you'd worked it out. I gave her a child, my child. Any child with my bloodline would be noble and would be raised as a noble, with all the privileges and future it deserved."

Grimmjow was still confused, and it was evident on his face. Nnoitra rolled his eyes, wrapping an arm around the other slave's shoulders, pulling him in slightly. "Nel isn't his niece; she's his daughter, Tia and Ichigo's daughter. Ichi is raising her as a long lost niece so no one asks about the mother."

"Also it stops the little one becoming confused in public when she can't call me her father. I didn't want children, not that I was against it, it was just never an urge for me but I enjoy spending time with her, and I like knowing I have an heir to this ridiculous life, even as hard as it is to live."

The noble belted the five nails into the final post before snipping the rest of the roll off and slinging the snips back into his belt pocket. Wrapping the roll under his arm, he stood, Starrk automatically helping, knowing instinctively that his master would be hurting.

Ichigo walked over to the dune buggy, securing the roll of wire to the open back before lifting his t-shirt and pulling it on. The other three slaves were talking too quietly for him to see but he was surprised when it was Grimmjow that approached him.

"Sorry my lord, but Starrk asked me to drive you back to the house."

Ichigo smiled, taking a drink out of the bottle of water he'd left on the passenger's seat. He offered it to the other man as he swallowed. "And why is it he's not taking me back himself? I thought I'd not get out of his sight again today after pulling this."

Grimmjow hesitatingly took the offered bottle, opening it only after Ichigo nodded encouragingly before he sat in the passenger's seat. "He asked if I could manage the horse back to the stables but I told him I'd never ridden before; he said I'd be better behind the wheel."

"I take it you have driven before then?"

"Yes my lord." Grimmjow took a quick mouthful out of the water bottle, the noble taking it out of his hand as he closed it.

"Is there any chance you could drop the titles? I don't really like it when I'm at home. Hell I don't like it at any point but this is a place for all of us."

Grimmjow got behind the wheel of the buggy, turning the key as the little racer purred to life. "What would you want me to call you? Master, sir?"

"Ichigo? It is my name after all. Just don't call me Strawberry, it wasn't funny when I was six and it's still not funny now."

"I'll try sir, I mean Ichigo. Can you keep me right on the way back? I was kinda concentrating on hanging on to Starrk and not falling off on the way here."

Ichigo chuckled and pointed for him to go right at the edge of the trees and he'd see the house. They waited a moment of two for the other two men to put the tools on the back of the vehicle before they left. "You going to give me a good ride Grimmjow?"

"I'll do my best sir."

"Ichigo, remember? Just so you know, I like going fast in this thing. See what you can do with it."

Grimmjow felt his face heat slightly at the innuendo in his master's speech, wondering if it was intentional. There was enough information given now that he knew the noble was involved physically with his slaves, what Grimmjow didn't know yet was how far that involvement went, and what it meant for him.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Ichigo grinned at the light blush on the other's face, knowing he'd caught on to his less than innocent comment. The young noble played oblivious, and pointed out the path to the rear of the house. The pair pulled up to the end of the drive way with Zommari waiting for them, arms cross across his chest.

"You going to tell me off too Zomm?"

The tall man smirked, facing his master. "That depends on how well the others did it, do I still need to tell you off or are you suitably chastised?"

Ichigo just grinned in reply, taking the keys from Grimmjow and tossing them to the black skinned man who snatched them out of the air.

Ichigo headed into the house, stopping just inside the door, making Grimmjow nearly knock him over. A small cry of delight was heard from in front of them and Ichigo suddenly had his arms full of excited 4 year old shouting for her uncle to play with her.

Ichigo walked into the house holding the little girl, chatting with her seriously. They were debating their options for play, the girl wanting to go swimming but Ichigo suggested horse riding or maybe watching a film.

In the end it became a compromise, swimming first then a film with everyone and early to bed for the little one, something she wasn't happy about but she accepted the deal. Tia was standing in the white kitchen/dining room as they entered, smile widening as she saw her daughter in her father's arms.

Ichigo put the little girl down for her to run to her mother. "A'ma, Uncle is taking me swimming!"

"Wow, you are a lucky girl. We better go and look for your costume then." Tia held her hand out for the little one and the pair of them headed out of the room, Tia pausing at her master to lay a hand on his cheek briefly, just in affection.

Ichigo smiled warmly before walking up to the big refrigerator and scanning for something to snack on. He could feel the gaze of the new slave watching him, but he let him become acclimatised to his new master's habits on his own.

Ichigo pulled a tray of small tomatoes out, putting one in his mouth and biting down, savouring the sweet juice that ran over his tongue. A plastic box of chicken came out as well and a block of deep red cheese.

The food was placed on the central island and all the wraps and lids removed to give the noble free range on his nibbles. A piece of chicken followed the tomato as he pulled a small serrated knife from the knife block on the surface and cut himself a thin chunk of cheese. Once he'd taken a bite out of it, he leaned back on the other counter, savouring his snack.

Opening his eyes afterwards he noted the slave perching on the dining table, looking uncomfortable. "Hey, did you get any lunch? Come and join me. I'd cook you something but Szayel would kill me if I messed his kitchen up. Though if you're hungry I might risk it."

Grimmjow looked up, glancing first at his master then around the room, like he didn't know where to look. "Eh, I can wait for dinner sir."

"Ichigo."

"Sorry, Ichigo."

"Come here, there is plenty. You should try the tomatoes, Szayel grows them himself." Ichigo held one out, taking a bite out of it when the other didn't move.

Grimmjow walked forward slowly, looking out the door as he passed it. He stood in the other side of the island and took one of the red fruits from its punnet, Ichigo still holding the half tomato, its juice running down his slender fingers. Grimmjow bit into the flesh of the fruit, the juice squeezing down his chin even though he tried to slurp it into his mouth. Ichigo watched the long tongue chase the juice down his skin, but it wasn't long enough to get all of it. The young noble was so tempted to offer his own tongue in assistance, but tore a sheet of kitchen towel off the roll instead, offering it to the other man with a smirk.

Ichigo turned his gaze to the dish of chicken, selecting a large dark piece of leg meat, his preferred kind and biting into it, ripping the fibres with his white teeth. He stayed down on his forearms, avoiding looking at the other man in the room as he realised he was dancing on dangerous territory. The man has already shown he didn't trust the noble, was scared of him and all Ichigo had done was throw himself at him, with sly comments and then a picnic in the kitchen. He swallowed a sigh, losing his appetite at his thoughts. He just felt tired now, and defeated. He knew the best thing for the slave would be to have a safe haven with people in it that loved him; he just knew it wouldn't include himself. If that meant he'd have to let his men go, let them be happy together then he would. Grimmjow needed companions that that he could trust, and he obviously wasn't included in that. He'd seen how the three of them had looked at each other when he'd asked what had taken them so long. Ichigo stood up straight, looking at the last bite of chicken he had in his hand, now feeling queasy from the little he'd eaten. He glanced at the other man, giving him a quick insincere smile before tossing the mouthful into the bin.

"Right, I have things I need to get done. The others will be back any minute but they'll have to rub the horses down. Stay, eat what you'd like or head back out and see them, whatever you would prefer. If Starrk asks, I'll be in my office or my room. Have a nice afternoon." Ichigo hurried out of the room, his chest feeling heavy once more. He dived along the corridor, pulling the door to the main hall open before running up the stairs. His office was in the opposite direction to his room at the top, and the thought of diving under his duvet and hiding the rest of the day was tempting, but he did genuinely have some work to do. His sense of duty won out and he slumped along to his office, turning the snib on the door to stop all but his first from entering, and even Starrk would hesitate if Ichigo had actually locked himself in.

The promise of a day with a little girl had gone out of his head as he buried his head into his correspondence, a mountain of replies needed to catch up.

Tia and Nel came back into the kitchen wrapped in bathrobes with plastic sandals on their feet. They saw Grimmjow standing at the kitchen counter, an array of snacks out in front of him. "Glad to see you are feeling more at home." Tia smiled to lessen the jibe in her voice. "Is Ichi away to get his trunks on?"

Grimmjow looked at the beautiful females in front of him, knowing he only had bad news and he didn't want to upset either of them. "The master said he'd be in his office the rest of the afternoon as he had work to attend to."

Tia's shoulders slumped, eyes closing as she realised what was going on. "What happened? Did you two have a falling out?"

Grimmjow's eyes widened. "No, I don't think so. He ran into me earlier, and I hurt his head, but he seems ok. Tia, can you give me some advice as to how to deal with all this? I feel like I should be apologising pretty much every second I'm here, yet everyone keeps telling me not to. And the master, he wants me to call him by his first name, and he's so friendly. Well he was until just before he left."

"What happened? Did he say anything?"

"No, he just looked down, then he seemed to decide he wasn't hungry anymore and he left. He just looked so sad; I didn't do anything I swear."

"No, I doubt you did anything. I heard about your collision earlier from Szayel. And he ran in to you so you've got nothing to feel bad about. Ichigo is an energetic guy and does tend to run about a lot. At least he tires Nel out most of the time."

The little girl in question was playing with the tie round her waist, wondering who was going to play with her now.

"Grimm, if I steal a pair of trunks off one of the other boys, would you come swimming with us? I know Nel would like it."

"Yes A'ma. Blue will you throw me into the water?"

Grimmjow smiled at the little girl, who was now bouncing up and down at his feet before agreeing to join them. Tia asked him to take the child out to the patio while she raided some wardrobes and the two of them saw the other two slaves bringing the horses back to the stables, leading them by their reins inside.

Tia appeared a moment of so later holding a pair of navy and white board shorts with Hawaiian print down panels from hip to knee. She pointed to the small pool changing rooms and took her daughter over to the loungers by the pool.

Grimmjow slipped into one of the small rooms and changed into the shorts, pulling the drawstring tight enough so that there would be no embarrassing accidents once they were wet and he left, taking his clothes with him. Tia had pulled out three large grey towels from somewhere and was laying them out across three loungers, her robe and the little one's robe hanging from the end of a fourth. The blond was on a white two piece, the bottoms fairly conservative, for bikini bottoms and the top looking similar to a bra, only with a silver ring attaching the cups at the front. Nel was splashing in the water on the poolside in a silver sparkly swimsuit with a little white tutu around the waist.

Grimmjow wandered over to the pool, slinging his clothes on the same lounger as the robes and stretched out, feeling the sun hitting his body. Standing with his hands on his hips he looked around at his new home, feeling for the first time that he was comfortable, and safe. That was until Tia pushed him into the pool, the woman sick of watching him pose in the sun. She stood at the water's edge, laughing as the blue haired man resurfaced, his hair plastered over his face. He grinned wickedly at the woman before pushing off the bottom with his long legs, bringing his body out of the water enough so that he could grab her arm and pull her in. When she resurfaced he was leaning against the side with a smirk on his face, his hair now slicked back. She used her hands to push a large wave of water at him, splashing her daughter at the same time. The little girl squealed and ran to the pool, throwing herself in; knowing one of the adults would catch her. Grimmjow caught her body just as she broached the water, holding her as she shrieked in delight.

Above them, their lord watched his family splash about, his first and fifth joining them soon after to sit and watch the antics in the water. Even when the lord walked back to his desk he heard their laughter reach him through the open window. He knew they didn't need him, but he would take care of them, because he needed them.

_iiiiiiii_

The sunny afternoon had waned; the weather had taken a turn for the worst as the day drew in. The group at the pool side had called it a day after a while, the five of them making their way inside and getting changed, either out of their swim stuff or their suits and shirts from earlier before meeting in the TV room. Grimmjow had been imagining a cinema type room, with rows of chairs facing a large screen in a dark room but he was surprised when Starrk led him to a bright airy room with a pull down screen on one wall and projector coming down from the ceiling. Creams covered the walls and floors with teal accents in the few ornaments and in splodges of colours on cushions scattered on the large padded floor. The centre of the room was a large rectangular mattress sank into the floor with cushions of various shapes and sizes scattered over it. In the centre was a table, its legs sank through the mattress and it was secured to the floor so you could have refreshments and they wouldn't get spilled.

The four adults and one child got themselves comfortable, Nnoitra coiled round Starrk and Grimmjow who sat close together; Tia and Nel lay on their stomachs, facing the screen as the lights were dimmed slightly, controlled by a remote in Starrk's hands. The screen came to life and the familiar Disney castle came into view before Szayel snuck into the room, a stack of bowls in one hand and a bag in the other. He quickly filled the bowls, passing out small amounts of popcorn to everyone before sitting cross legged beside Nnoitra, the black-haired slave leaning his head on his leg as he shoved handfuls of salty popcorn into his mouth.

Grimmjow had never seen Beauty and the Beast, but as it was the little girl's choice, he wasn't surprised at the plot or the main character, a beautiful princess who fell in love with a monster.

The film wasn't overly long, but the little girl was sound asleep before it ended, and she missed the horrible beast turning into a handsome prince. Tia lifted her to take her to bed, saying her own goodnights at the same time. The little one woke slightly at the movement, and sleepily looked around. The men wished her a goodnight, which she returned in a mumble, but her final sentence before she dropped off in her mother's arms hit them all clearly. "I wish Uncle had been here."

Szayel held the door open for the woman before re-joining the other men. "Anyone else agree with the sprog?"

The men nodded, even Grimmjow. Zommari, Barrigan and the rest of the slaves had been asked but they'd pleaded off, saying that they'd rather not. The invitation had been left open, as they knew the little girl would be going to bed and it wouldn't be children's films all night but the four men in the room knew they'd have the room to themselves.

Szayel laid on his side, propping his head up on his arm as he ran his fingers through Nnoitra's long hair, the taller man leaning against his torso. He'd pulled the tie out of the hair to lay it over himself. Nnoitra had pulled Grimmjow in-between his legs, pulling the blue head onto his chest and Starrk laid his head in Grimm's lap, the men comfortable and secure.

"Can I ask about how you work this? There seem to be so many of you and the master as well, how do you even start something without leaving someone out?" Grimmjow had been wondering that since he'd been in Nnoitra's arms after finding out about the shared intimacies.

Nnoitra just shrugged, the movement unsettling Grimmjow for a moment. "It's all taken as it is, no jealousy, just affection."

After watching a couple of action films, Grimmjow realised Starrk and Szayel had drifted off, the pink haired man lying on his arm, Nnoitra still leaning on him and Starrk still curled up on Grimmjow. The long fingers of the taller man were ghosting over the other's body, being mindful so as to not wake the other two but he skimmed them underneath the white t-shirt, dipping the tips under the waist band of the jeans. Grimmjow pressed himself onto the man behind him, closing his eyes at the sensations in his body. A hot mouth started pressing wet kisses along his neck, a hand up supporting his head to press it over. The hand worked its way into his boxers and wrapped around his stiff rod.

"Don't drop anything now Grimm." Nnoitra pulled his face towards him, swallowing the gasps that would wake their companions as the taller slave started jerking the other off, swiping the pad of his thumb across the sensitive tip. Grimmjow wrapped a hand up over his shoulder, grasping at the other as his other hand gripped the wrist in his clothes. As much as he tried to keep still, the unknown feeling in him had him writhing under Nnoitra's ministrations. He's touched himself, everyone does as they get older but the feeling of the long fingers grasping at him, squeezing and rubbing as they pumped him had him gasping in the other's mouth.

Nnoitra grinned against his lips, knowing he was going to pull an orgasm from him soon. "You're going to cum any minute, I can feel it. I just can't wait till I can get into you and make you scream for real."

Grimmjow felt Nnoitra move behind him, the man's erection pressing against his back. The thought of the long hard rod being inside him as the other's hand jerked him off had him still for a moment, before exhaling, any noise he might have made being taken down the man's throat.

The damp feeling now in his underwear wasn't exactly pleasant but the sated feeling throughout his body more than made up for it. Nnoitra pulled his long fingers out of his clothes, the evidence of Grimmjow's orgasm clinging to them and the black-haired slave drew them to his mouth, cleaning them as he savoured the taste of the other.

Grimmjow just lay back basking in his afterglow, the sucking sound in his ear not bothering him at all. He stretched slightly, placing a hand on the brown haired head on his lap so he didn't dump it on the ground. The head turned, nose nearly buried in his groin as the man looked up at him. "You smell good enough to eat. But I think I'll wait my turn." Starrk smirked at the blush on Grimmjow's face, the brunette pulling himself up, straddling the other man. He ran his hands through the blue strands before pressing a brief kiss on his lips before standing. "Come on, it's late and we are going out tomorrow." Starrk offered the men on the floor a hand, Nnoitra just pulling Szayel up as he stood. The pink haired man was looking at the others sleepily, knowing full well what had taken place moments ago. He wasn't as ruled by his body's demands, rarely indulging in another's body but the sounds of Grimmjow reaching completion had given him a hard on.

The men walked up to their bedrooms, each splitting off to their own rooms, as far as the others realised. Szayel had waited till the doors were all closed before entering Nnoitra's room quietly, wrapping his arms around the taller man as he stripped his top off. The pair had fallen to the bed, the taller man getting to work his sexual frustrations off into the smaller man's body.

_iiiiiiii_

Dressed once more in a borrowed suit, Grimmjow waited in the main hall alongside Tia and Nel as they waited for the master of the house to grace them with his presence. The household slaves had all enjoyed breakfast this morning together. Szayel had been humming as he'd cooked them all French toast, a rare treat according to Starrk.

The head slave had disappeared after breakfast, leaving Grimmjow with a clean suit to wear before having to go and see to the master. After the young noble had excused himself in the kitchen, he'd not been seen by anyone, and hadn't joined them for breakfast. Szayel had been making comments about orange haired brat's who didn't take care of themselves as he'd poured syrup over his breakfast.

Nnoitra joined Grimmjow and the females in the main hall, winking his good eye at the blue haired slave as he sat on the low bench at the front door. The security man, head slave and nanny were all accompanying the master and his new slave on the shopping expedition, Zommari coming along to drive them in style. Nnoitra wasn't joining them in the main car, the security man driving a silver Mercedes to bring the slaves home after the master left to attend his doctor's appointment.

Ichigo finally made an appearance, dressed starkly in total black, a small upturned collar on his shirt negating the need for a tie. A silver bar held the collar up across his throat, hiding the bruises inflicted on him the previous day. Atop his head, shadowing the still purple lump sat a black fedora, a white band around the rim, his face mostly hidden from the others. He muttered a quiet good morning before trotting out of the house, hands in his pockets. The town car was waiting for him and he pulled the door open, sliding in and shutting it behind him. Grimmjow looked around seeing the tense expressions on the other's faces, knowing there was something wrong with the master's actions.

The slaves all headed to the cars, Nnoitra parting off to his own as Grimmjow, Starrk and the girls walked around the town car to get in at the other side. Starrk slid in next to his master, Grimmjow and Tia taking the seats facing them but Ichigo was leaning his chin on his hand ignoring them. The blond and bluenette looked over at Starrk, who shook his head, shrugging ever so slightly before settling himself in, buckling his seat belt.

The drive took around an hour and a half, Ichigo not liking to shop in the nearby city as it usually ended up with him running into someone he didn't care for. Plus in a city where he was fairly unknown, he could relax slightly. He could feel the occasional glances sent his way from the other's in the car, and knew he owed them an explanation but he didn't want to go into it, and get a lecture from his friends.

He's received an invitation for this evening through his personal phone, something that didn't happen often, etiquette dictating formal parties be formal invite; and this was one he didn't want to accept. Aizen was throwing a summer social evening, a small gathering of the higher ranks to "relax" in each other's presence. Tousen and Ichimaru would still be in attendance but someone like Renji wasn't elite enough to be included. One reason Ichigo didn't like these parties, was that it was nobles only; slaves were to be left at home so their master could be in the company of their equals only. It was well known that most households welcomed such events, the slaves getting an evening off, and sometimes the next day as well as the parties tended to be all-nighters, but Ichigo usually pleaded off, not wanting to be left alone in places like that.

He'd sent an acceptance, something he was regretting now and hadn't broached the subject yet with Starrk, knowing the older man would go apeshit at the noble putting himself in harm's way like that. The brunette was probably already wondering what was up with him today. Even though he'd skipped breakfast, and dinner and lunch the day before if he really thought about it, he didn't feel hungry, the thoughts of this evening, along with the sick feeling he got at the start of a chest infection chasing away any hollow feelings. He was pressing himself against the door of the car, trying to put as much distance between himself and the other people in the car, wishing he could banish all the hurt in his mind. He spent the rest of the ride wondering how the men got on the night before, wondering who got to indulge in the newest's body, and who the powerful man had held close to sleep.

They arrived at the centre of the town, taking advantage of the preferred parking scheme, getting both cars parked on the tree lined avenue. The slaves arranged themselves properly, and followed the master towards the department store, Nnoitra in the lead slightly, holding doors for the noble as they reached them. They were welcomed into the large department store, the noble's trademark hair and his repeat custom made him a welcomed guest and they were taken into a private viewing room, a large changing room to one side with a bank of mirrors along the other side of the room and a rail for clothes along the last. Ichigo sank down into the plush sofa, slinging and arm around the little girl who snuck up next to him. She cuddled under his arm as they waited to get attended to.

An hour passed quickly, the noble being seen to first. His measurements were already in the store's database but they checked them quickly. He stood on a raised block as a man adjusted the hems of the icy grey trousers on his body. He pulled the cuffs of the fitted jacket down, checking they sat exactly the right length as he looked in the mirror. He wasn't vain, he just knew he had to look exactly right or questions would be raised. His adopted parent's had made sure to educate him on every part of a nobles' life, even the selection of clothing for himself and his household.

Ichigo's new suit hung in a carrier on a hook on the door to ensure it wouldn't get creased as Starrk and Grimmjow took their turn. Starrk was getting a new black jacket, his old one having split at the yoke and Grimmjow was getting an entire wardrobe.

Starrk had told the new slave that all of his formal clothes would be chosen for him, probably in monochrome due to the master's preference, but they'd get to have some input into their casual wear. The bluenette was aware they were getting left later, the master having to go to the doctor, and Tia was to take him and get him a mountain of personal things, the woman having no difficulty abusing the plastic card.

Grimmjow kept sneaking glances at his master in the mirror, aware of the sad look on the other's face. The noble had barely said anything to any of them spending his time staring off into the distance or talking quietly to Nel. He'd missed the longing look Ichigo had given both men when they stood in their underwear, getting changed to try on the new clothes that had been selected for them.

Both men snapped their gazes up as they saw the master approaching them, leaving his young charge on the couch. Grimmjow was in his own black suit, the waist snipped in to emphasise just how broad his shoulders were, and now narrow his waist was. The black shirt underneath had a double collar, the under one being a silver colour. Ichigo stood in front of him, a frown on his face.

"Is there something wrong master?" Grimmjow glanced down, wondering what could be wrong; the clothes had been tailored to him.

"No, something is missing though. I'll be back in a moment." Ichigo stalked out of the room, the two shop workers speeding after him, Nnoitra a step behind.

Ichigo was out on the shop floor, heading directly to the formal wear, stopping in front of an array of ties. It looked like the paint chart in a DIY store, every colour available in solid silk ties, as well as some patterned ones off to the side. Ichigo raised a hand out, hesitating over two similar colours before swiping a narrow blue tie off the rack, heading back into the room. He was ahead of his three shadows, pushing the doors open as he entered, pausing as he heard Grimmjow's voice.

He only caught the end of the sentence, the man cutting off as the door opened but Ichigo's heart sputtered, before shattering, all illusions of his life falling at his feet.

"The master just whores himself to you?"


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Grimmjow was fussing with his collar, trying to work out what had made Ichigo frown like that; from what he could see, he'd never looked better. Starrk removed his new jacket, replacing his own grey one and his black shirt with a white tie lay smoothly under the jacket as he fastened both buttons, shrugging the material onto his body properly.

"Starrk, how does he do this? Hide himself from everyone around this, just for us?"

The brunette snorted, smoothing his hair back. "And what do you think society would think if it was known what went on behind closed doors? He's not the only one to hide things you know."

"Yeah, I'd hate to see the fallout if it became public. He'd be seen as the master just whoring himself to you," Grimmjow broke off as the door opened, not wanting to be overheard by a worker. He was coming round to the noble, seeing the genuine compassion in his face over the last day and with no retaliation coming from his many slip ups, the stories from the other slaves seemed more and more true.

Starrk frowned, seeing the young noble's face as it came through the door. His usual blank scowl was in place, but the glimmer of the true man was missing from the brown eyes. He looked every inch and arrogant lord and he stalked up to Grimmjow, laying a tie over the man's shoulder. From behind, Starrk could see that Ichigo had chosen the exact colour of the other man's hair and eyes, the brilliant colour looking so bright against the fabric.

Grimmjow looked down at his lord, seeing the tie over his shoulder, knowing the other man had chosen it just from the memory of his colouring made him want to lean and touch the man, but the audience prevented that.

One of the workers started blustering that he'd made an excellent choice, and Ichigo was drawn into a brief conversation about colours for the others. The noble shook his head, not wanting to go down that route for some reason. He glanced at his watch, looking over at his first to confirm and when Starrk nodded, Ichigo made his excuses, getting the workers out of the room so he could organise the rest of his day.

"Right, Tia, behave; he doesn't need the store. We'll be back for dinner, I'll message Szayel to get something for all of us, and we can sit down together this evening. Does that sound alright Ichi?"

Ichigo looked up at his friends, blank look still on his face. "No, I have other commitments this evening." That made Starrk frown, and flip open the folder in his arms to check the diary. He never missed anything. "You can keep Tia from misbehaving yourself Starrk; I can take myself to the doctor just fine." Ichigo lifted his new suit off its hook. "I'll need this for the engagement; I'll send Zommari back after he drops me."

"Eh, wait a minute, where exactly are you going and why am I not coming with you?" Starrk walked up to Ichigo, grabbing at his arm, alarmed when it was denied to him. "Ichigo, what is going on?"

"I have a Summer Social tonight at Las Noches. As you know they do not include invitations to slaves. Zommari will have to take me there straight after the doctor if I am to make it there without being rudely late."

Las Noches was the name of Aizen's estate, the knowledge of the name making every slave, including Grimmjow, frown and stand.

"You are fucking kidding me, what the hell are you doing accepting an invitation there? The day after he chokes you? What the fuck were you thinking, and keeping this to yourself?" Nnoitra was angry and not attempting to hide it, the temptation to grab his master and bundle him back to the car was strong.

Ichigo whirled on the taller man, Nnoitra taking a step back as his long broken conditioning reared its ugly head. "You forget where we are and to whom you speak. The subject is closed."

The party left the private room, each furious over different things, all centred round the same problem. Ichigo split from them as he approached Zommari, the large black skinned man frowning confused at the looks on the others' faces as well as the fact that Starrk wasn't following. The pair left, Zomm having to trot after the master out to the car.

Starrk stood, fists squeezed till the skin was white, unmoving as he let his fury ride through him. "What the fuck is going on, he doesn't do this." He was muttering under his breath, but the others heard him clearly.

"So what's the plan boss, follow him?" Nnoitra was itching to get behind the wheel of the faster Mercedes and tail their master.

"We can't, we wouldn't get through the gate. Stupid kid is worried about something, something he can't talk to me about."

"Call Urahara."

The men turned on Tia, her soft voice cutting through to them clearly.

"He'll be invited as well and he can let us know if anything happens, or if we need to come and get him."

"You are a genius Tia." Starrk pulled his black phone out, squeezing the woman's shoulder as he walked away a bit to get some privacy.

Tia took Grimmjow over to the casual wear, trying to get the man to select something he'd like to wear, but not only did the blue haired man not really have an opinion on clothes, his head was filled with questions and worries about his new master.

Tia was standing at a rack of polo shirts, pulling a few down in different colours to decide. "Kisuke Urahara basically raised Ichigo, he's more a father to the man that any blood relative. He's also a Lord so Aizen can't not invite him, even if the man is irritating as hell."

"He looked so sad earlier, then he just looked blank before he left, what happened?"

Tia sighed, deciding on a cream one and a navy one, slinging them over Grimmjow's arms alongside the rest of the clothes she'd picked. He had several pairs of jeans, different colours but similar cuts to emphasise his long legs as well as t-shirts. She had grabbed a little trolley basket and was pulling it behind her with the packs of underwear and socks she'd chosen. Over by the jumpers, she just picked a zip up in a pale grey, throwing it at the man.

"I have no idea, and Starrk will be pulling his hair out. Our dear Ichigo tends to be too self-sacrificing for his own good and he'll have cooked up some nonsense in his brain. Hopefully he's just giving your some space to let you get acclimatised." They'd reached the shoe department at that point, and Tia pushed him to sit at one of the plush benches. The clothes he'd been carrying were slung over the rest of the bench as Grimmjow watched the woman browse the selection, lifting a tan lace up shoe, and a black slip on. She called for assistance, asking for Grimmjow's feet to be measured and these to be brought out for him to try.

Grimmjow had been right about his shoe size but the feeling of the firm leather round his feet was uncomfortable, after two years barefoot and two days in shoes too big they felt tight. Tia told him to suck it up.

He got to pick more comfortable casual shoes, going for walking shoes in a neutral colour as well as a pair of board trainers in deep blue, cream stripes up the side matching the laces.

Tia declared them done for the day, and that they'd got him enough to keep him going till she could have more delivered. The amount made Grimmjow's eyes widen, but the woman just handed the plain black card over to the server. After the packages were bagged, Tia bullied Nnoitra into helping them carry them out to the car, Starrk catching them up on the way out. He gestured towards the silver car, the others knowing he needed privacy for them to speak. After putting the bags and the suit carrier into the boot, they got in the car, Starrk in the passenger's seat and Grimmjow, Tia and Nel in the backseat, the little one in her booster seat. She was asleep, having lost enthusiasm for shopping when it became clear it wasn't for her. Starrk turned in his seat, facing all of them and keeping his voice low so as to not disturb the child.

"He's going, and he was shock as hell when I told him so was Ichi. Aizen threw this party at the last minute, Kisuke got his invite via text and I'm assuming that's why I didn't get clued in."

Nnoitra clenched his hands on the steering wheel, the leather squeaking in protest. "If he lays a hand in him I'll rip his arms off."

"Who?" Grimmjow leaned forward, the conversation leaving him out too much.

Starrk answered for him. "Aizen, he's got his eye on Ichigo, for like a year or something. Damn kid is too attractive to be refusing all the invitations from the eligible singles, so Aizen decided he was just shy and has been 'attentive' to our master ever since. You saw the marks on his neck yesterday? Kisuke said he'd not let Ichigo out of his sight."

"Fuck this Starrk, we'll just go to his doctor's appointment and not let him go."

"No, we can't. You heard him; he said the matter was closed."

Grimmjow frowned; the rules seemed a bit grey at times as to when an order was an order. "And that's it? Even through you are pretty sure he's going into a lion's den? Just cause he said so?"

"Even in our fucked up family, when he says no he means it. And it's not like obeying a master, it's knowing when someone you love means it and you won't change his mind. Short of tying him up and kidnapping him home we can't do anything."

Nnoitra snorted, letting it be known that was exactly what he'd been thinking. He started the car, pulling out of the space before heading home. Grimmjow sat back in his seat, his side pressed against Tia's, the woman's hand on his thigh in comfort. He lifted his arm and laid it across her shoulders, pulling her in to lie in the hollow of his arm. She signed and snuggled closer, enjoying the companionship. Grimmjow caught Nnoitra's glance in the rear-view mirror and the men traded small smiles before both returning their views to the front windscreen. Starrk laid his hand on top of Nnoitra's on the automatic shift knob and the taller man clutched at his fingers.

Szayel was waiting for them when they arrived home, belting them with questions when they walked in. Starrk had let him know the situation and the pink haired man was more flustered than Grimmjow had ever seen him. Tia drew Grimmjow upstairs to his room and the pair of them started putting away his new belongings, the three suits hanging in the right side of the wardrobe, shirts next to them and his casual clothes in the left, jeans and t-shirts folded on the shelves inside the sliding glass.

After changing into his own clothes, putting the borrowed ones into the laundry basket in the corner and pulling on his new walking shoes, Grimmjow went out to explore a bit, trying to find his new family. Szayel was easily found in the kitchen, banging cupboard doors like they'd insulted his mother and pulling bottles and packets out. He left the cook to it, wandering out the back door. He saw Nnoitra's shadow up at the stables and from the second shadow; he guessed Nel was with him. He heard barking coming from the dog house and knew Starrk would be in with his charges and decided to help the older man out with the dogs. He entered the wooden structure and was surprised to see the head slave on his knees, pushing puppies back as he fiddled with the gate to their pen.

"Everything alright Starrk?" Grimmjow leaned over and scratched behind Diesel's ears as he passed, the big pup ecstatic at the attention.

"The little fucks have broken their pen. They were everywhere when I got here, and their dear mother doesn't seem bothered to keep them under control." Proof to his words was the brave pup who darted in and swiped a long wet tongue up his face.

Grimmjow chuckled, approaching the older man to take a look at the damage, the splintered wood at the hinge easy enough to spot. "Just replace the slat and rehinge it, though maybe with bigger screws so they don't rip out again."

"And you think I can do that how?"

"You got tools?"

Grimmjow was shown to the shed at the side of the house and left to take what he needed to fix the problem as Starrk returned to his brood to take them out to exercise.

Grimmjow picked a tool belt of a hook and slung in some basic tools, grabbing a couple of screwdrivers as well as a claw hammer and small frame saw. They hung off sections of his belt and he turned to the selection of screw boxes. He grabbed two, not knowing what size the hinge holes were, knowing either would probably do. He tucked a couple of cards of sandpaper in the open pouch as well before lifting one of the long slats of wood against the wall. He'd need to speak to whoever did the DIY in the house because that person certainly kept a well-stocked shed. He wondered for a moment if it was the master that worked with his hands, the young man having skills with the tools out in the field. Grimmjow had been impressed at the way the man had handled the sledge hammer as well, it wasn't easy to hit straight with such a long shaft and big head; Grimmjow ended up sniggering his way into the dog house at his dirty thoughts, he wondered how the master had got so good handling long shafts and big heads.

Repairing the little gate hadn't taken long, Grimmjow talking to the big pup who wuffed at him from his pen. He cleaned up the wood to ensure the dogs wouldn't hurt himself, and he replaced the rest of the screws with longer ones so the other parts of the hinges wouldn't just do exactly the same thing. He cleared up his mess and lifted the splintered slat before heading back out to the shed. A long whine followed him, Diesel not happy at getting left alone.

The tools and equipment went back into their places, Grimmjow appreciating a tidy bench as much as the shed's owner before the man went back, lifting the big pup out to lavish some affection on him. He lifted a few treats out of the pouch and took the pup on his lead into the training area, joining his friend. The pair sat against the wall of the house, watching the pups play together, Diesel having an advantage of height and reach over the younger ones. Starrk smiled when the big grey pup came over and stretched out at Grimmjow's side, pressing his big head into the man's leg to get some attention. Grimmjow just laid his hand on the pup's head and stroked the soft fur.

"Thank you."

Starrk looked round from wrestling one of the younger pups as his companion broke the silence. "What for? I haven't done anything extraordinary recently."

"For everything, for showing me a new life, for giving me a second chance." Grimmjow tilted his head towards the other.

"I want to point out that I did none of that, and would have thrown you out the night you arrived after the stunt you pulled in the drawing room. It was Ichigo that saw something worth defending in you. It was him that asked me to give you a chance and help you get used to the house. And you did a lot of the work yourself, I know it wasn't easy."

Grimmjow looked down at his lap, knowing the other man was right. "Will he be ok Starrk, will he get home alright?"

"I don't know, and if he does I still don't know how to fix this, he's worrying about something and it's not like him to hide it from me, so I'm wondering if it's something I've done."

Grimmjow scoffed, the thought that the meticulous Starrk could have done something wrong seemed unlikely.

Dinner was quiet and the group drifted off to their own rooms, Grimmjow floating around his, lost for a moment on what to do. He'd spent a while earlier taking the tags off his new clothes but he'd had to stop that before the excitement killed him and he lay folding aeroplanes from the cardboard after that. Now his floor was littered with his failed planes and he was getting bored. Nnoitra eventually stick his head round the door, challenging him to a video game and he accepted, even though he'd never played before. Zommari and Yammy were in the tall slave's room and the four of them took turns in pairs to play, Grimmjow loosing each one. When he eventually beat Zommari, the other men grabbed at him, accusing him of throwing the race cause he'd felt sorry for the new guy. Grimmjow just laughed as the three ended up in a pile on the floor, Zommari being like a wall of stone regardless of the other two's advantage of height and weight.

Nnoitra pulled his phone out of his pocket as he retook his seat next to Grimmjow, a low smile on his face. When he cursed loudly, the others turned on him, each of them knowing instantly something had happened with Ichigo.

"Shit, he's in trouble, Kisuke is bringing him home. Szayel is losing it, I gotta go see Starrk." Nnoitra stood up, hurrying out the door. Half a second passed before he reappeared, frown in place. "Grimmjow, I might need a hand, come on."

Grimmjow stood, shocked that he'd be asked to help but more than willing to do what he could and followed the taller man to the kitchen. Szayel sat on the table, feet hanging uselessly as he stared at his knees. His phone sat abandoned at his side but he snapped his head up as the other two entered.

"Where's Starrk?" Nnoitra went straight to the pink haired man, holding his shoulders in support.

"He's in the drawing room at the window, I couldn't budge him."

"What happened?"

"Urahara called, Aizen got Ichigo away from him and when he realised the kid was out of his sight he panicked. From what I got out of Starrk Ichigo is hurt, but whether Kisuke didn't say how, or Starrk couldn't, I don't actually know what happened. I've got my kit ready but I couldn't stand and watch Starrk stare." Szayel gestured to the counter where his medical kit sat.

The three of them stopped, Szayel's phone buzzing on the table grabbing their attention. The man grabbed it, standing and looping the strap of his bag round his shoulder as he left the room at a run, the other men at his heels.

On entering the main hall through the door to the left of the staircase, the three men were in time to see the front door open, Barrigan still heading to it after hearing the car approach. The young master threw himself inside, his head low and his left arm across his body to clutch at his right. He stopped for a breath, leaning against the door, before he almost ran down the hall, ignoring Starrk's cry from the drawing room entrance. The three slaves at the bottom of the staircase were ignored and he even turned his face from them, bolting up the stairs, Starrk hot on his heels. Grimmjow was a breath behind him and Nnoitra actually overtook them both, his long legs devouring the stairs. At the top landing, the tall slave managed to get his hand on his master, pulling the man round. Ichigo threw the hand off his person, a cry of despair leaving his throat as he did his best to keep his face from view before he took off again for his room, slamming the door behind him.

Four men stood at the top of the stairs, each in different stages of disbelief at what they had seen, pale skin marred with smudges of blood and new bruises, as well as the warm brown eyes blood shot and filled with tears. His hand was stained red from dried blood and the brand new ice grey suit was ruined. Starrk bolted down the hall; hand on the master's door knob in a heartbeat. He wasn't surprised that the man had locked his door, what did surprise him though was the chair pushed to the door on the other side, making his key useless. He tried to force the door, getting help from the others but they didn't budge it, the solid oak wood not giving under even the four of them.

Starrk sank to the floor, calling out for Ichigo to let him in, pleading with him to let anyone in to help him. The calls were ignored, the only sounds from within were soft sobs that cut each man listening deeply.

Starrk sat with his back to the doors, hands in his hair gripping tightly as his own eyes filled with tears. Grimmjow frowned as the other two slaves sat next to him, the three sharing their pain.

"Right so how else can we get in?"

"There is no other way, his window is too high and he only has the one door."

"So no hidden passageways or anything, shit." Grimmjow thought for a moment, considering visiting the tool shed and just sawing his way in before he left the men in the hallway to visit Starrk's room. He went straight to the other man's small toilet, pushing the window open and looking out. He could see the edge of the lord's balcony just at the corner, and with the wide cream stone that ran along under all the windows on the back of the house, he should be able to shimmy to the balcony. Even if Ichigo had locked the doors they were at least only glass. Pushing the window to its widest, Grimmjow removed his shoes, rolling his jeans up to leave his feet free to move and grip. Getting his well-developed body through the small window was the next step, going feet first seemed to be the best idea and he was soon outside, just his head still technically inside the house. He straightened; rethinking his plan instantly as he looked down, this shit looked easier in the movies.

He had the window edge in his grip for a couple of steps before he had to release it, still a fair distance to the drain pipe running down. When he reached that he felt he could take a breath, the corner only two more steps away with its solid looking railing beckoning him. He took a deep breath before finishing the stupid daredevil move, his legs wobbling as he fell over onto the balcony. The master had a nice set of comfy chairs out there, with a small table between them and a tall metal heater in the corner for when it got cool. He tried the handle on the French windows and was relieved when it just clicked open, letting him into the room. He spotted the master quickly, the man on the ground by the bedroom wall, his dogs curled up with him, the older dog Fawn licking his face like he was one of her pups. The young man clung to the animals, sobbing into their fur. Grimmjow approached slowly, going on to his knees a he got nearer, not wanting to startle the obviously distressed man, or the protective animals. It was Willow, the big black and white dog that growled deeply at him, the man hesitating and holding his hand out to her, curled into a fist like he'd been taught; less likely to get a finger chomped off.

He seemed to get permission to come closer and he took it, gently laying his hand on the man's shoulder, trying to see his injuries better. The sudden pressure had the man shy away from him, crying out in fear. Ichigo was now glaring at him, tears streaking down his face as he hid behind his dogs. "Get out." The tears were making his voice wobble but there was still enough authority in it that made Grimmjow hesitate. He pushed through, and reached for the man again, pulling him to him.

He was starting to recognise the signs, especially the glaring one on the seat of Ichigo's trousers. The reluctance for human contact, the broken finger nails and the tremor in his whole body together with the dark patch ruining the pale grey fabric told him enough and made him hold the master tightly, but as if he was glass.

"Please go away?" The man was now gently begging him, while clutching at him, tucking his head under the sharp jaw.

"No, I'm not going to leave you alone. Do you want me to let one of the others in instead?"

The violent shaking of the head answered that question and he just sat himself more comfortably as he held the man, the tremor not weakening.

The sobs finally stopped, giving way to strained breathing as the young man tried to come to terms with what had happened to him. Grimmjow had held one other person like this, the memory bitter in his mind. He'd had a comradeship, not friendship, with a slave at his household before the Baron's. They were of a similar build and worked well together so they were frequently teamed up as they developed into adults, working on the farm with their strong young bodies. Grimmjow had always thought of the other man as handsome, his first crush really but the master also noticed the man's bone structure and infectious personality.

Grimmjow had held the man after he'd been raped by the master, the seventeen year old inconsolable in his pain and anguish. Grimmjow had failed that night, finding his year mate hanging from the barn the next day and he was determined to not fail this time. He knew he needed to get Ichigo looked at by someone with medical knowledge but he needed to make sure he handled this correctly.

"What can I do? Apart from going to his house and ripping his spine out?"

A wet laugh answered him. "You worked it out then? Wonderful." Ichigo pushed the other man away, standing with a small wobble, leaning against the wall. He pressed his head a moment later, closing his eyes as he took a few deep breaths.

"Come on, I'll help you get cleaned up." Grimmjow stood and went to take his master's elbow to draw him to the bathroom. The younger man whipped round, back to the wall as his eyes opened widely, fear trembling out of them with fresh tears.

Grimmjow felt his heart sink, thinking for a moment that this was how Ichigo felt when he flinched from the noble and decided that was over now. He wrapped his arms around the smaller man, drawing him in and helping him even his breathing out by taking deep, steady breaths. When he seemed calmer Grimmjow stood back, cupping the man's face in his large hands. "He hurt you, let me make it better."

The smaller man nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor as he allowed himself to be dragged to the bathroom. Grimmjow didn't even allow himself a glance at the luxury around him before leading the man to the sunken bath, drawing the taps open to fill the bath. He sat the man on the floor, saying he'd be right back.

Running out of the bathroom, Grimmjow yanked the chair away from the door, opening it and nearly making the other slaves fall into him. Starrk was on his feet instantly and tried to push his way past but Grimmjow didn't let him.

"He's a mess, he doesn't want anyone to see him but he's letting me clean him up."

"What did that fuck do to him?"

"He's been raped, he is a mess. Look I'll see if he can calm down enough to let you in but for now you are out. I'm sorry." Grimmjow closed the door, stopping as Szayel shoved his hand forward. He accepted the medical kit from the other man, knowing Ichigo could use it on himself, or tell Grimmjow what to do at least.

Snatching the long pyjama trousers from the pillow on the large bed, Grimmjow re-joined the young man in the bathroom, stopping the taps and checking the water. The noble stood, stripping off his jacket and just getting into the water dressed. The grey suit trousers darkened as the water hit them and the black shirt clung to his skin. Grimmjow noticed the silver bar was now missing from his throat, the holes it had been through were ripped and the stiff collar broken. There were a few buttons missing from the shirt, but enough were left to hold it closed. Grimmjow stripped his t-shirt off, leaving his jeans on and got into the water with the other man, the bath large enough for more. He would have taken off the heavy denims but he felt after the man had been abused by another man, he might not appreciate having a man nearly naked that close to him.

Ichigo just sat with his knees drawn up, arms wrapped around them as he stared at nothing. Grimmjow grabbed a rolled up black face cloth from a dish at the side and soaked it, using the wet towel to wipe at the red smudges on the man's face. It was evident his nose had been bleeding again, and there was a shadow of a bruise on the cheekbone on his right side.

He managed to get himself right next to the master without the other man freaking out and he took one of the hands and wiped at it, cleaning the skin he could reach. When he lifted the other arm, the noble winced, favouring his wrist in the other's grip. Grimmjow loosened the cufflink and rolled the sleeve up slightly, wincing at the bruise on the joint. When he tried to move it, the other flinched too much telling him there might be a break in the bone.

He left it alone before moving to other parts, trying to catalogue the damage. Grimmjow pulled his shoes off, tossing them onto the tiled floor before stripping the wet socks off to join them. He knew he'd now reached the difficult part, trying to see the body wounds of his master, with the lord fighting him all the way. Option one was to force the man; he could remove the articles with or without the young nobles permission but would probably traumatise the man more. Option two was to coax him out of them, something that would take time but would be better in the long run.

He spoke soothingly and low, his voice just enough to ease the stress of the situation. Ichigo seemed to be in a trance, his arms responding to the slave's instructions and the shirt was on the floor. His pale torso had been unblemished the day before but was now splodged with purple, finger shaped bruises along his sides. Grimmjow saw the teeth marks around his master's nipples and had to flex his fingers under the water so the scared man didn't see them. There seemed to be no real damage to the upper body except the bruises but from what Grimmjow could see, they were just surface impact marks, nothing deeper.

"Ichigo, I need to take your trousers off now. I know you don't want to but I promise you I won't hurt you."

"I said that to you didn't I? I told you I'd never hurt you didn't I? How can I protect any of you if I can't even protect myself?"

"You did nothing wrong, that asshole thought he could take something he wanted, but he shouldn't have. You know that right?"

"Why are you helping me? Surely this just proves what you already thought?"

Grimmjow laid his arm round the other man, drawing him onto his lap to remove his trousers as he was distracted talking. His hand froze at the man's last statement though. "What did I think? I don't feel anything but gratitude towards you."

"Why would you feel gratitude to a whore?"

Grimmjow stopped trying to open the sodden trousers with one hand and gripped the man's shoulders, turning him to face him, shock written on his face. "You are not a whore! I do  _not_  think that and anyone who told you that is a filthy liar." Grimmjow was imagining the great Lord Aizen filling his head with nonsense as he stripped the dignity from his victim.

"You said it, today in the store, you said I was whoring myself out to the others, I guess you are right, I guess this wasn't that much of a shock."

Grimmjow wrapped his arms around the other, a low cry leaving his throat. "No, Ichigo, no. God no. You misheard me I promise. Starrk and I were talking about what would happen if our lives became public, I did  _not_  call you a whore. You are the most amazing man I have ever met." Grimmjow held the man out to see his face, wiping the tears that fell from the liquid brown eyes. Grimmjow allowed his hand to skim down the pale face, skimming over the bruised cheek before thumbing the reddened lips. "I can never thank you enough for what you have done for me, and I am sorry for how I have behaved since I came here."

"I'm glad you are happy, I can see Starrk and Nnoita are attached to you. I won't hold any of you beholden to me, just be happy." More tears spilled from the noble's eyes as he closed them.

"I'll be happy when you are. I just want to stop you hurting. I just want to hold you till it stops." Grimm tried to push his emotions out, to express them better than he could verbally and he held the young lord close, the other tucking his head under his chin.

"I feel safe in your arms; just don't let me go just now 'k?"

"Not a problem."

They sat in the cooling water for a while, Grimmjow holding the other, running his hand through the vibrant hair and ghosting gentle touches over his body, all intended to comfort and support the other. Eventually he knew they had to move, the water cooling off too quickly. He stood up with the other man, noting the other's head drooping down. Grimmjow finally managed to get the trousers off him, tossing the ruined trousers to the floor before scanning his eyes over the legs. Again he could see vibrant finger sized spots and as he stepped out and helped the other, he recognised the wince of a man taken too harshly. Using the facecloth, he made sure the other was cleaned of any traces, hugging the man as he stood. He took the wide orange towel off the warmer on the wall, wrapping it round him, pressing a brief kiss to the other's forehead in affection. Ichigo actually smiled weakly in response.

Grimmjow knelt at his feel, reaching up inside the towel to grip the wet boxers and waited till the noble gave him a sign to proceed before he pulled them down gently. The noble stepped out of them and straight into the open arms of his newest friend. Grimmjow just wrapped his arms around the towel covered body, leading the man out of the bathroom. He grabbed the pj's off the couch arm and knelt again, holding them open for the noble to step onto them. He then helped the younger man dry off before removing the towel and tossing it back into the backroom.

He watched Ichigo walk over to his bed; pull the duvet down before burying himself into it. Taking the opportunity to go to the door he pulled it open seeing the men still waiting, Starrk snapping his eyes straight to him.

"He's fine, doing ok and I got him cleaned up and into bed. I'd give him till tomorrow though before really talking to him about it."

"There is something else; I can see it in your face." Szayel was staring at him with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

"Yeah, found out partly why he was so distant earlier, but I'll tell you later. I'll go see if he wants anyone in with him."

Starrk pressed a small black phone onto him. "Call or text me if you need anything, in case you can't come to the door." Grimmjow nodded his thanks before closing the door on them.

He approached the sleeping area quietly, leaving puddles of bath water behind him from his sodden jeans. He ran his hand through his hair as he knelt by the bedside. Pulling up the duvet he was greeted by the Lord of the North Ridge, curled up and playing with his toes under the warm comforter. "Hey, everyone is worried about you, do you want to see them, maybe just Starrk?"

Ichigo shook his head, still staring at his feet. "He'll ask too many questions, I can't, right now."

"What can you do, what do you want?"

"Can you hold me tonight? Would that be alright? I don't want to be alone."

Grimmjow leaned forward, pressing his forehead on the other man's. "Of course, let me get my jammies and I'll be right back ok?" the noble just nodded, not moving as he dropped the cover.

Grimmjow returned to the door, asking if someone would grab his night wear, Nnoitra trotting off to get them before he'd finished asking. He left them for the night, promising to call or text if anything happened or they needed something.

Grimmjow threw his wet trousers into the bathroom, knowing the tiled floor would be fine for the night with the wet on it before he briefly used the noble's towel to dry off, throwing his shorts on as he walked towards the bedroom, spotting a familiar book on his way. Grabbing it before he climbed into the big bed, his feet sensing a heated blanket as they touched the sheet he slunk down, close enough for the noble to feel his presence but still technically on his side of the big bed. When Ichigo didn't move, Grimmjow opened the book, holding the bookmark behind the back cover as he looked down at the page. Recognising the previous chapter end, he swallowed before beginning the next one.

"Chapter 4, Over the hill and Underhill. There were many paths that led up into those mountains, and many passes over them. But most of the paths were cheats and deceptions and led nowhere or to bad ends; and most of the passes were infested by evil things and dreadful dangers. The dwarves and the hobbit, helped by the wise advice of Elrond and the knowledge and memory of Gandalf, took the right road to the right pass."

Grimmjow glanced down as the orange haired head appeared from under the covers as he read, the noble's face shocked at his actions. He continued to read, only pausing to rearrange himself as the young man curled up to him. Turning a page with one hand was tricky but he managed, his other taken round the young lord as he burrowed into his chest. Only when the other's breathing evened out for a long enough time did he stop, sure the other was now asleep. He tucked the bookmark into the page and laid the book on the night stand before switching the light off. He smoothly lay down further, gathering the man onto his chest, the feel of him breathing quite soothing to the other.

Grimmjow felt himself slipping over to sleep, the man in his arms now feeling precious to him, He'd never slept with another person like this, and he liked the feeling of peace radiating from the one in his powerful arms.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Ichigo knew it was stupid to accept the invitation, knowing what he was going to didn't make him any more prepared to deal with it though.

Aizen greeted him as he walked through the door, lavishing compliments on him about his new suit and even flicking the silver bar at his throat, smiling affectionately. Ichigo had to swallow back his bile, desperate to escape the man's clutches.

Salvation came in the shape of his adoptive father, the smiling man who could insult you, usually without you noticing till later. His fan was snapped open and his twinkling eyes peeked out over the top of it.

"Ichigo, my dear boy it has been too long, come with papa and talk to me, you understand Sousuke don't you?"

The brunette didn't look particularly happy, but he had no reason to deny the request and he drifted off. Once he was out of sight, Kisuke grabbed at his son's arm, pulling him close and dragged him off to the side of the room.

"You are going to be in trouble when you get home."

Ichigo didn't react to the statement, making the other frown.

"Starrk called me, he's worried about you and to be honest so am I now. Why did you come, you never come to these."

Ichigo pulled his arm free, adjusting his jacket so it hung better. "Why shouldn't I be here, you are. I wanted to get out of the house tonight; I have a new slave who is getting acclimatised to my routine and finding it difficult."

"Oh I know, your number one can certainly talk fast. Listen to me, you are not to leave my side, even for the bathroom all night is that clear?"

Clear brown eyes rolled, breath leaving the younger man with a huff. A passing waiter offered the men a glass of champagne from a tray he was holding and Ichigo accepted one, taking a large mouthful out of it before it could be snatched out of his hands. Kisuke got his hand on the stem and pulled it back down, looking at the boy incredulously.

"What the hell are you doing, you can't drink that fast." Kisuke relieved the younger man of the glass entirely, pouring the rest of the liquid onto a nearby plant pot. Thin blood meant alcohol affected the young noble faster than normal making him normally abstain from drinking it. He did indulge at home occasionally; enjoying the buzz he got and didn't get affected by hangovers due to the small amounts he drank.

Kisuke managed to keep Ichigo under his wing for a few hours, getting the younger man to talk to him about mundane matters, their jobs and Ichigo's adoptive mother who was around somewhere breaking hearts. Kisuke wasn't married to Yoruichi Shinhoin, but they were as much an item as you could be without, even if the Countess did flirt with everything in sight. She'd offered to educate Ichigo on personal matters as he came of age, but he was too embarrassed, and the wrong preference to take her up on the offer. She knew he'd had the child with Tia and had spent a horribly embarrassing evening trying to get the blond to tell her how he was in bed.

Ichigo didn't spend as much time with them as he should, he did tend to stick to the company of his slaves more than anything but he realised that was going to have to change now, he would have to distance himself from them more, take on a more custodial role rather than a physical one. It made him sigh, knowing how much he cared for them, Starrk holding a special place in his heart; the brunette had been his first proper rescue after he'd turned eighteen. Seeing how the beautiful man had been being kept made him decide to change his world, only to protect those who had no voice of their own. It had been a rocky start, both having no idea what they were doing, the slave stuck with a man who refused to be waited on. Ichigo had actually made him breakfast one morning and the poor man was too scared to eat it.

The thought of the beautiful man with the gorgeous Grimmjow made him smile, and his heart ache. The pair would be magnificent together, and deserving of each other. And it had looked like Nnoitra was involved as well which lead to images of the three of them together at once.

Ichigo took a moment in the bathroom when Kisuke still in the cubicle, to really look at himself. The black shirt made his face seem paler and teamed with the pale grey suit and his vibrant hair, he looked almost like a ghost; he really needed to spend more time outside. He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling like the strands were getting long meaning he was due for a haircut; he didn't like it when the hair lay on his collar or in his eyes.

Kisuke appeared a moment later and went to wash his hands, his shadowed eyes still showing their usual spark. Ichigo left the bathroom a breath ahead of his adopted father, only for him to have to jump aside as Tousen went to walk in. Both nobles paused, the lesser ranked Baron bowing slightly to the other in respect before he pushed the door open.

Ichigo had nodded in reply to the bow before walking over to the spot he'd filled earlier, waiting for his father to join him. A waiter appeared at his elbow a moment later, holding out a tray with the final glass still on it. He offered it to Ichigo who accepted is without thinking and took a sip. He knew he'd been stupid gulping down the wine earlier and decided to just enjoy this glass, the slight bite to the sparkling wine teasing his tongue. Kisuke frowned at the glass in his hand but when seeing he was taking it easy, the older man left the subject alone, starting another new conversation.

Ichigo wasn't feeling very well soon after that, half the glass in his hand still full when he passed it off, leaning his shoulder against the wall as his head swam. Kisuke disposed of the glass as he had previously before grasping the younger man's arms, trying to look in his eyes. Ichigo just pushed him away, saying he just needed a breath of air.

Things got confusing for a moment and Ichigo found himself in an empty dining room, the lights dimmed. He turned around trying to leave again when he ran into a warm body. Stepping back and expecting to see his papa's face, his eyes widened as he spotted the smiling face of his host. Hands grabbed his arms, squeezing too tight as they turned him to the wall, pressing his back against it. Hands touched him all over, clutching and gripping him tightly as they explored him. He felt the silver bar getting ripped out of his shirt and the shirt itself being pulled open before a mouth covered his body, sucking and biting at him.

He was turned and slammed into the wall again, something hitting his cheekbone as he lay against the wallpaper. He took a moment to recognise the sage green of the wall, colours being elusive in his head, and he didn't register the pain in his rear immediately because of it. He keened, scrabbling to escape the sensation but fingers dug into his hips, something pressing on his shoulders to keep him still as the intrusion continued. He didn't register what was happening until he was dropped, slumping onto the floor as pain finally registered in his head.

The door banged open, his papa looking at him in shock. He recognised Aizen standing in the room, talking to Papa before he was gathered up in his arms and removed from the house.

He knew he was in a car as he came back to himself, the bumps in the road making his stomach turn. He groaned and tried to turn away from the sensations but a restraining strap seemed to be around him and he fought with it, pulling at the material to let him go. Warm hands stopped him, soft words trying to calm him but he couldn't quite register the words yet, rubbing at his fuzzy feeling head as he sat up, lights flickering past the car windows.

"Papa, where are we going?"

"I'm taking you home."

"Is the party over?" Kisuke didn't answer right away, flickering his eyes over to the other man, watching the frown settle in the young man's face as he traced his memories. "Did something happen?"

"Did he hurt you, are you alright?"

"Did who hurt me?" Ichigo moved in his chair, pain flooding his lower back as he moved, spiking a memory. He ran his hands through his hair, letting out a low cry at the pain in his wrist. Glancing down he saw his finger nails were broken and bloody and he finally recognised the pain he was feeling though it was not one he'd really felt before. Yeah there was an ache, especially after an energetic session with his lovers, but this was different, and it didn't happen with any of his men. His eyes filled and when Kisuke tried to touch him to hold his hand he shrieked and shied away, curling up on himself.

They pulled up to North Ridge not long after that, Ichigo throwing himself out of the car before it stopped and racing in, trying to find somewhere he felt safe. As soon as he entered his home, the pain in his wrist flaring as he pushed the door, he was assaulted by the bright lights stabbing at his sensitive eyes, along with cries of his name from everywhere. Unable to cope with the stimulus, he did what he could, and fled the situation, hunting for that safe haven. He hit the stairs running, aware he was being chased but that making him run faster. Someone grabbed him as he hit the landing and it made him scream out, shaking free before resuming his bid for safety. He hit his door, opening it before slamming it shut, turning the key and grabbing his shoe chair, jamming it under the door handle. It looked secure and he backed away slowly, jumping as the door banged, his pursuers finally reaching it. They pulled the handle, pushing at the door and he heard a key turning the lock. It made tears flow down his face, his feet tripping over themselves as he hit the floor. Two warm bodies surrounded him as he laid there, their comforting scents easing his anguish and he curled up in them, watching the door be abused.

Later he lay in his warm bed, surrounded by the strong arms of his newest slave he shuddered, the feeling of another's hands on his body making him scared. Even through the other man was asleep; he rubbed at his skin, holding him tightly. Ichigo felt himself being lifted more onto the other's chest and as the powerful lings breathed deeply, he felt himself being dragged back into sleep, securely held and safe.

_iiiiiii_

Grimmjow had woken several times during the night due to the other man in the bed moving or trembling. He held him close and said nothing, knowing there was nothing to be said at that time. When he woke and saw clear daylight through the main archway he looked down at his master, glad to see the face slack with sleep, no worry etching a scowl onto his features.

Grimmjow was aware of the intense heat coming from the other and pressed the back of his hand onto his forehead, pressing it to the back of his neck before laying it on his back feeling the breaths enter and leave the smaller body next to him. He knew there was something wrong, the temperature was too high and he was toiling to breathe properly; Grimmjow's worry spiked a moment later when the man wouldn't stir as he shook him. He sat up, shaking him more firmly and calling his name louder. Cursing under his breath, Grimmjow reached for the small black phone on the bedside table, waking it up before opening the contacts to find Starrk at the top of the favourites. He pressed the call option and held the phone to his ear. It was answered almost instantly and Starrk sounded almost desperate on the other end.

"Something's wrong, he needs a doctor."

The main door opened before Grimmjow had finished, making him believe that the head slave hadn't budged all night and the rumpled suit still on the man just proved the theory. Starrk was at the bedside instantly and running a hand over the beloved face on Grimmjow's chest. The duvet was thrown back and Starrk pulled Ichigo onto his back, laying him out straight and pressing an ear to the man's chest.

He swore, looking round just as Szayel and Nnoitra entered the room. Both men saw the panic on their boss's face and Szayel was up on the bed, kneeling at their master's side in a heartbeat. He gripped a clammy hand, calling out the man's name as he pressed his own ear against the chest.

"It's gone to pneumonia; we need to phone for a proper doctor, he'll need antibiotics and fluids."

"Phone the police as well, he'll not report it but I sure as hell will. I saw the state of him last night."

"And you think a slave's voice will hold up against a noble like Aizen's?" Szayel scoffed at him, running his hand through the thick orange hair in affection as he held his hand.

A new voice spoke up from the arch way, the tall blond scratching behind the harlequin Dane's ears. "A slave's might not but mine should have some weight."

Grimmjow growled, not liking a stranger in his master's quarters and letting instinct rule his motions.

"Oooo, bad kitty doesn't like me? Shame really cause I'm not going anywhere."

Starrk snapped at the two men. "Grimmjow stop it, this is Kisuke Urahara, Ichigo's adopted father." The blond man just smiled smugly.

"I know fine well who this is, and he was supposed to be watching him last night."

Starrk snapped his head up, surprise on his face. He turned to look at the man in the arch, realising the same conclusion and not liking it.

"You better get the doctor to run a trace for Rohypnol, he was drugged. He did have a little wine but nothing that should have had him out of it." Kisuke was looking down at his finger nails, the accusations just running off his back.

A doctor was phoned, a tall blond man escorting a smaller woman with long dark brown hair held in a braid. She examined Ichigo and confirmed the pneumonia before talking to her subordinate who started sorting out a drip stand and hooking up bottles of liquid. Grimmjow was standing at the bedside still in his bed shorts as he watched the woman slide a needle into the crook of Ichigo's elbow, the line staying in his veins so she could attach the lines from the IV's straight into his blood stream. She had been told about the assault and asked for the room to be cleared so she could examine him properly. The tall skinny blond assistant was surprisingly strong and managed to get all of them out, and sitting on the sofas in the middle, Willow refused to leave her master's side however and Grimmjow felt a bit better that someone who loved him was by his side.

The woman reappeared a moment later, a brown paper bag in her hand as she pulled her gloves off. She passed the bag to her assistant and sat down herself. "He's got some damage to his anus and rectum, as well as the expected bruising. His wrist is broken and i've strapped it up for now but we'll have to get an x-ray and a proper cast on it eventually. I've managed to get some swabs but he'd been cleaned up so it might not be conclusive. Are his clothes from last night still around?"

Grimmjow grimaced, realising he'd destroyed a lot of evidence last night. "They are in his bathroom, but he got into the bath fully dressed, even his shoes." The blue haired man got up and went to retrieve the articles. They were still sodden and even the trousers were mostly clean. The boxers still had marks on them but the doctor said anything useful was probably washed away. The dry jacket was bagged up though, the tears in the fabric possibly holding clues.

Kisuke was frank when they were asked if they knew who had attacked the young noble and the doctor was shocked. She did say they had specimens from most of the nobles in the hospital and she'd be able to check any traces she'd found against the lord's and get evidence to get him arrested.

She left after saying she'd fill in the report and get the ball rolling but the police would be round that day to get statements from all of them. She didn't think Ichigo would be lucid enough for anything like that for a few days until the antibiotics kicked in but he should come round the next day if not before. Grimmjow appreciated the way she stroked his head as she checked him before she left, giving him a warm smile as she left.

Starrk had told him that Retsu had been the one to train Ichigo from when he was seventeen and he worked with her for a few years before he took a more managerial role of the hospital, mainly working with paper work and sponsors now due to his station.

Grimmjow was left for a few moments as Starrk saw her out and he lay next to young man, holding his untouched hand. Starrk joined him on the bed and the two just lay in silence.

Szayel managed to bully both men into eating something, even if they refused to leave the room to do it. Sandwiches on the couches was a far as they went but Szayel did force Grimmjow into Ichigo's bathroom for a quick shower, fetching the blue haired man's toiletries himself and getting him some clean trousers and a t-shirt to wear.

The next day had a bright sunrise, hitting Grimmjow's eyes painfully, making him jerk away. That upset the brunette on his chest though and when Starrk grabbed at him, they both ended up on the floor at the side of the bed, the fairly loud thump waking the third man on the bed. A sleepy brown eyed gaze peeked over the bed edge, looking down with a frown at the men on the floor.

"Whatcha doin down there?" Ichigo pulled his hand to wipe at his face, the line in his arm making him pause. He sat up and followed the clear tubing up to the drip stand, registering their intent eventually.

The men on the floor got to their knees, both anxious to see the men more clearly.

"Hey Ichi, how are you doing this morning?" Grimmjow kept his voice quiet, glancing at the man at his side.

"To be honest, I feel shite, got a hangover from hell, plus hurting pretty much everywhere." Ichigo scooted back to lean against the headboard of his bed, the pain in his backside making him wince. He knew what had happened at the party, he wasn't stupid and he even remembered the bluenette taking care of him when he returned home and locked everyone else out. He frowned for a second, a question on his mind. "How did you get into my room?" He turned to the man in question and raised an eyebrow. When the answer wasn't forthcoming, he elaborated. "The night I came home, how did you get it; I know it wasn't through the door."

Grimmjow glanced at the man at his side again, seeing the nod encouraging him to answer. "Eh, I climbed out of Starrk's toilet window and shimmied along the wall onto your balcony. The doors there were open."

Dark orange eyebrows rose quickly, disappearing under the spikes falling onto the forehead. "You spidermaned into my room?" Grimmjow just nodded in response. He was surprised at the hand that held his for a moment. "Thank you."

Grimmjow just shrugged, not really knowing what to say. Starrk didn't let the silence stretch though. "You've got another bad infection, pneumonia this time and you need to take it easy. Do you want anything to eat or anything?" All of them seemed to be ignoring the elephant in the room, and Grimmjow knew he'd have to broach the subject eventually, it couldn't be ignored.

Ichigo didn't really fancy anything, but suggested some French toast might go down okay. His eyes were already drooping and Grimmjow suggested a nap before he ate anything, something that Ichigo seemed to fully agree with as he snuggled back down under his duvet. The two men got up, both feeling they could leave the room finally as the man had regained consciousness.

A small voice stopped them in their tracks though, the raw need in it cutting them deep. "Please don't leave me alone." As they turned back, Ichigo was sitting up again, anguish on his face. Grimmjow looked at the other man before hurrying back and wrapping his arms around the smaller man. Ichigo wasted no time in burying himself in the larger man, still looking at his first with wide eyes.

Starrk just smiled at them, glad they had found comfort in each other. "Get some rest, both of you and I'll have Szayel make you both something to eat. I'll join you later ok?"

Ichigo nodded, closing his eyes with a smile on his face. Grimmjow looked over at his friend, worried he might be overstepping his bounds. Starrk smiled warmly at him, gesturing for him to lie down and rest as he pulled the curtains closed, banishing the bright light from the room. He left them alone, hurrying to fill the rest of his family in on their master's progress. There was a long journey ahead of them but it was a promising start.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Grimmjow ended up coaxing the younger man to eat even one slice of the warm toast, the man not having any appetite. Grimmjow just lay and held him, neither of them speaking, really not knowing what to say to each other.

Szayel appeared after a while, huffing over his master's lack of appetite but Starrk came in and made peace, sending the pink haired man away.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Starrk looked down at his friend and lover, cuddled up in someone else's arms. He wasn't going to lie, it did bite a little when he thought that he wasn't the one comforting him, but he pushed the selfish part of him down, just grateful someone could be there for Ichigo when he needed them. The noble twisted slightly so he could look at him better, the strong arm round him loosening slightly but not releasing him.

"Hey, you feeling like getting up for a while, we could move you out to the living room? Or down to the TV room if you want to watch something?"

Ichigo just shook his head. "I don't want to go out and everyone to be round me, I know you want to ask me stuff and it's just too hard just now." Ichigo sat up, the warm covers falling away from him. His bare torso was on display, showing the finger sized bruises and the bite marks around his nipples. Starrk clenched his fists, holding his tongue so he didn't say anything out of turn. "See? You don't know what to say to me. Grimm at least sits quietly, and that's kinda what I need right now." The noble sat forward over his knees, running a hand through his hair and wincing at the pull of the needle in his arm. "Is this really necessary?"

Both other men answered at the same time. "Yes."

Ichigo just chuckled. "Right what is the plan then? How long am I going to be hooked up, how long before I can get back to normal?"

Grimmjow sat up behind him, frown in place. He wasn't sure when was the right time to talk about abuse, or if this denial was alright just now. Starrk just sat on the bed, clutching Ichigo's jaw with one hand.

"That will be up to you and when you feel normal again." The head slave stood up, smoothing down his polo shirt. "I'm afraid I'll have to steal your bed mate later on though. Don't worry; someone will sit in with you till he comes back." Starrk was running through the staff, even considering Kisuke as he'd not gone home last night with worry over his son.

"Starrk, would you?" Ichigo seemed quite small, sitting on the big bed with the deep covers just pooled around him and Starrk just stared at him, slight shock on his face.

"If you want me to, I'd rather be nowhere else." Starrk smiled, and seeing the smile reflected in Ichigo's face made him even happier, at least he hadn't been removed from the younger man's heart.

Grimmjow was called on an hour or so later, the reason unclear until he stepped into the drawing room, Nnoitra and Kisuke there already. Also in the room was a grinning faced man, hugely built with long dark hair and a patch over one eye, a long ugly looking scar traveling underneath it. He was seated on one of the high backed chairs, a cup and saucer on a table at his elbow.

Nnoitra beckoned him further into the room, directing him over to a sofa opposite the man and pushed him into it.

"Grimmjow this is Captain Zaraki, he's been sent to investigate the attack on my Lord Kurosaki. He wanted to speak to you since you were the first one to assist the master."

Even if he hadn't known he had to play slave, the way the tall light-hearted slave had spoken told him this was a man they had to be careful around. He swallowed, not knowing where to begin.

The policeman rolled his eyes before taking a slurp out of his cup, placing it back haphazardly. "Grimmjow, I'm here to help your master get the justice he needs, but since I'm not allowed to speak to him for another day I need to get as much information from you as I can. Our conversation is being recorded, so you just need to start talking, don't worry too much about how it comes out, or even order really, just as much detail as you can give me." The captain had gestured to the small black box on the table between them when he'd said they were being recorded, and Grimmjow studied it as he began to speak.

"We were worried about the master when he went to the party and then he came home and wouldn't speak to anyone, locking himself in his room."

"Yes, Starrk told us about him not happy with going out that evening after being assaulted the day before. How did you get into his room?"

"I went into the next room, out the window and along the ledge into my lord's balcony. His doors were open and I got to him like that."

"What did you see when you got in?"

"He was upset, and injured, he had blood on his face, his nose had been bleeding and there was a bruise on his cheekbone. He tried to get me to leave, but I didn't."

"Did he say what had happened to him?"

"No, but he was very upset, his fingernails were all broken and he seemed to be scared of me when I tried to help him."

"Then I believe you helped him into the bathroom where he took a bath and went to his bed is that correct?"

Grimmjow frowned; thinking it kind of skimmed over a lot of details, and thought it was weird that half his story was already told. Nnoitra was standing next to him, leaning on his thigh suddenly but not looking his way; He took the hint and just replied a positive answer, not understanding the line of questioning.

"Has he said anything about the attack since? Any mention of who his attacker was, what happened or anything?"

"No sir, he's avoiding the subject and I haven't wanted to push him."

"Of course not, you are a slave and a lord certainly wouldn't speak to you."

Grimmjow just looked at his hands, trying to hide the white knuckles now on them.

"Alright then, interview suspended at two fifteen pm." The man clicked the little a box off and shoved it in his pocket. "Shit, how is he doing really?"

Grimmjow snapped his head up, suspicion in his face. He looked up as Nnoitra sat at his side, the tall man slinging an arm over his shoulders. "It's alright Grimm, Kenpachi's one of Ichi's actual friends. But we can't exactly have it on public record can we?"

"No, that would not do, what would a lord be doing making friends with a police officer? Seriously though, how is he doing? Could I go up and see him, off the record?"

Nnoitra shook his head, knowing Ichigo's reluctance to see people just now. "Maybe in a couple of days, you should bring Yachiru round for Nel too."

"Yeah, is there any chance Starrk could come down just now, I can update him on what's been happening at my end."

Grimmjow nodded, saying he'd go back up and sit with Ichigo. The large police man thanked him, saying he'd be back the next day to speak to the noble.

When Grimmjow arrived back in the large bedroom he immediately went back to the bed. He smiled, watching the men curled up together, Starrk holding Ichigo, with the smaller man tucked under his chin. Ichigo appeared to be asleep but Starrk was clearly awake, his eyes shining with unshed tears. Grimmjow sat on the bed behind the noble so Starrk could see him.

"He hurt him, how could we let that happen?" Starrk only breathed the words, the master not waking.

"We didn't let it happen; there was nothing we could have done to stop it."

"If I'd've been there it wouldn't have happened. I could have protected him."

"His own father was there, and he was taken without it being noticed. You think a couple of slaves could have really made a difference. He needs us, now, here. Look, the cop wants to see you, wants to update you on stuff."

"Too bad, I'm not letting him go until he asks. I didn't know if he'd ever want me to hold him again." Starrk blinked back the tears in his eyes, but one fell. Grimmjow caught it, smoothing his hand over the man's cheek.

"I won't take him away from you, I wouldn't do that to either of you. When we get this settled down we'll see how it will work out k?"

Starrk nodded, smiling through his tears. "Sounds good. Will you speak to Kenpachi and tell me what he says?"

Grimmjow nodded, running a hand through the long brown hair in affection as he carefully stood from the bed and headed back out of the room.

He retook his seat opposite Kenpachi and crossed his legs, trying to relax. "He can't come; Ichigo needs him at the moment. He said to tell me anything you know."

Kenpachi glanced up at Nnoitra, surprised that the newest slave was already this far up the pecking order. The black-haired man just shrugged and smiled back at him, not bothered in the least that he'd been usurped a bit.

"Right, from the evidence Doctor Unohana found, there is definite proof of forced sexual intercourse, and there appeared to be traces of semen still inside him and they are being held for a DNA match. Photographs of his injuries were made and they have been catalogued also. I have got a member of my team working to match the bite marks on him with dental records."

"We've told you who did it, Kisuke basically found him still attacking him. Why can't you just arrest him and see if he matches any of this  _evidence_."

"Unfortunately, Lord Urahara came in to find his adopted son assaulted and the host of the party seeing to him. The story from his household is that Lord Aizen found him lying there, and was trying to help him when Kisuke came in. And apparently several members of his household claim to have been with their master in a different room of the house when the attack would have been taking place giving him an alibi. We are down to having to wring what we can out of the marks on and in his body."

"When you interview him, he will tell you exactly what happened, and who did it, will that solve the problem? Because I will go and carry him down to you so he can set this straight right now." Grimmjow was clearly losing his temper, Nnoitra now standing right behind him, both of the taller man's hands on his shoulders.

"Calm down Grimm, we're all worried about him, Ken included."

"It's ok; the kid needs someone to get angry for him. But no, asking him just now won't prove anything. He was drugged, someone roofied his drink so any statement taken within seventy two hours of the attack would be subject to speculation, plus his own memories of the attack may never be one hundred percent accurate, Rohypnol has hallucinogenic side effects, he might have just imagined the worst person that could be attacking him and be sure it was them."

Grimmjow groaned, running his hands through his hair. "What about the bruises on his neck?"

Kenpachi frowned, flicking his notebook open for a moment. "There was an older bruise on his neck, but they weren't from the attack."

"No, they were from the other day when Lord Aizen grabbed him and held him. Starrk said the bastard had been chasing him for months, surely that would put a question mark on the man?"

"I'll take a note of it, it might come in useful. Look I've got to go; I'll write this up and be back tomorrow. Please tell Ichi I was asking for him? I'll see myself out, don't worry." The man got up and left, Nnoitra wandering round to sit next to Grimmjow on the sofa.

"Well this is fucked up isn't it? How you doing, you seem to be a bit more relaxed here."

Grimmjow smirked, leaning into the taller man as he put an arm round him. "Yeah, seems like I fit in here after all, it's amazing how things change so quickly, as soon as I saw him hurt that night, I wanted to protect him. All the worry about the difference in our ranks seemed to be less important."

"So that why you risked your neck to get to him?"

"Well he wasn't going to let us in and I was worried about him. Plus it wasn't that dangerous."

Nnoitra snorted loudly. "I checked that sucker out earlier today, it was fucking dangerous, the ledge is about two inches wide. And how did you get out that tiny assed window? Even Ichigo would have difficulty doing that and he's the teeniest of all of us."

"It didn't seem so hard at the time; I guess I didn't really think about it at the time."

"You going to head back up and take over for Starrk?"

Grimmjow thought about it, wanting to be back in the bed with the noble, but he didn't want to take any time away from Starrk. "Nah, he's got it covered just now, I'll fill him in later with what Kenpachi said. I've been sitting around too much lately, I need a good workout. Fancy joining me?"

"Yeah why not, maybe later I'll teach you how to ride a horse, that's just embarrassing man."

Grimmjow pushed the taller man, chuckling slightly as they both got up, disappearing upstairs to grab some workout clothes.

Nnoitra took him to the gym downstairs, showing him how to use some of the fancy machines but Grimmjow was happy to work with the free weights mostly. He did hammer out a good three miles on the treadmill though, enjoying the feeling of his muscles screaming at him and his heart pounding in his chest. He stopped the machine, leaning on the hand rails as he tried to catch his breath a bit. Looking over at his workout buddy, he enjoyed the view of the other man straddling a bench, using the chest press as he counted out loud. He winked as he spotted his observer, continuing his rep without pause and Grimmjow went to sit on the machine next to his.

As Nnoitra came to twenty, he allowed the weights to drop, the slight clink at the end letting them know they were down. "You feeling better yet Blue?"

"Yeah, think I'm going to be sore tomorrow though."

"Ah, the best thing to get rid of muscle aches is a little bit more of what made them sore in the first place."

"Does that actually work?"

"Nah, but I keep telling it to Starrk when he bitches over a sore ass the next morning." Both men laughed, Grimmjow shoving the other man again, glad of a bit of light-heartedness in the midst of the crap situation.

_iiiiii_

Two weeks passed quickly, Ichigo improving physically each day but unwilling to talk about what had happened to him. When Kenpachi had returned the next day, all he managed to get was that Ichigo had accepted a drink off a waiter, felt ill and ended up in a dining room. Even he admitted he didn't know who was with him, who found him or how he got home, except what he'd been told. Kisuke had still not left, and after two weeks, the man was driving everyone in the household nuts.

His partner Yoruichi had come by for a few visits, to see her beloved son and to annoy her partner. The staff enjoyed seeing the irritating man being brow beaten by a quite small, but surprisingly strong woman.

She'd been the day before and had brought news. The Master of the Lands had heard what had happened and was coming to see his nephew, something that threw the house into frenzy.

Liege Lord Yamamoto was the elder brother of Ichigo's birth mother, Masaki Yamamoto being his youngest and dearest kin. When she had passed eleven years ago, Ichigo had been placed in Kisuke Urahara's care after his own father had been inconsolable, blaming his own son for his loss. He had gone on to get remarried and had twin girls with another woman, barely acknowledging the existence of his eldest child.

Genryusai Yamamoto had always had time for his nephew, even though the distance between them was now too great for regular visits he still wrote to the boy, enjoying his correspondence in reply. Ichigo actually looked forward to the letters, even though they could have called or emailed, it seemed more personal.

Grimmjow had been brought up to speed by Starrk and Nnoitra as they prepared the house for the visiting royalty. Old man Yama, as Nnoitra had been calling him was nice enough, but the house would revert to the social norm, slaves downstairs and obedient. Thankfully the old man wasn't actually staying at North Ridge; he had his own estate nearby but would be spending enough time here that they'd have to be careful. Starrk had assured him they'd done it many times before and he just had to revert to conditioning. At least Ichigo wouldn't have to act properly, with his illness and attack he'd just have to lie in bed. The one drawback was that he'd have to lie there alone when there were guests in the house.

They had been operating a rota system over the two weeks, each of the four spending time with the lord but it was always either Starrk or Grimmjow that held him while he slept. Ichigo was aware his uncle was coming to visit, but they were leaving him in peace about the arrangements and had assured him that even though they wouldn't be snuggled up with him, he'd never be without one of his friends.

The arrival of what passed as a king in their country was full of pomp, Szayel in charge of the etiquette since he had after all come from Yamamoto's court himself; and he really wasn't looking forward to the visiting slaves. Ichigo had requested his uncle gift him the pink haired man after Starrk had hidden him in their quarters one visit. He'd returned to his rooms, his own slaves staying adjoining quarters and found the man beaten and scared, he'd actually screamed when the noble came in. The head chef in the Liege's household hadn't liked being shown up by such a younger man and had taken steps to remove the competition. Since Ichigo was currently without any sort of kitchen staff, his uncle was more than happy to gift his beloved nephew the trained slave and he'd been taken home after that.

At least the chef wouldn't be accompanying Old man Yama to North Ridge, even if he did come to town with him. But there were plenty of other house slaves that he knew, and he didn't want to interact with them, planning on staying behind the scenes as much as possible.

Ichigo was dressed in her silk pyjamas the day his uncle was due, a matching robe over the top and he sat on one of the sofas in his room waiting for him to arrive. Grimmjow was dressed in his grey suit, white shirt and black tie in place, waiting across the room for the visitor, smirking at the young lord fiddling with the cannula in his arm. He was onto his third, his veins not liking the intrusive piece of plastic and from the way he was scratching at the surrounding skin, number three was on its way out. He still had at least another week on the IV antibiotics but because he was eating and drinking fairly normally, he only needed to be hooked up when the antibiotics were actually going through. The noble looked good in the deep silvery grey silk, his hair standing out. It did make his pale skin stand out, the illness having leeched more colour from him, but it just made him more attractive. Not that some colour in his face would diminish that at all. Grimmjow had come around to the fact that he was attracted to his master, and that if he knew what love was, it might feel like this but he was unable to vocalise it, and he knew it wasn't the right time anyway. He was also feeling strong emotions towards Starrk, and the two men had traded a tear filled kiss as they spoke about their worry one day when Nnoitra was entertaining the sick man. Nnoitra was a different matter, he was attracted to the tall man, and wanted to touch him but he was set in a different place inside Grimmjow. It was hard to explain, and he hoped it would become clearer as time passed and things calmed down a bit.

He distantly heard the front door opening, knowing the rest of the household would be in attendance to greet the Liege. As the pleasantries were being exchanged downstairs, Grimmjow wondered how well Ichigo would cope with being asked questions about what happened, the noble having pretty much avoided it with everyone else. There was still no proof through, nothing to pin the attack to the other Lord. Kenpachi had shown them photographs of the wall, clear finger nail scores in the paint with traces of blood at the sides so they knew where it happened. The samples taken from Ichigo's person were still being analysed, the evidence damaged but not useless. All they were waiting for was some conclusive proof to let them get fresh samples from the man in question to compare them, but the slippery man's lawyer had forbidden it, saying they were just trying to find someone to pin it on.

So proof was needed, some witness or Ichigo remembering something they could prove. It was cause of some distress when Kenpachi had tried to force a memory, trying to help but the younger man wasn't prepared to deal with the memories yet.

As the door to Ichigo's bedroom opened both men turned, Ichigo sitting a bit straighter as he saw the old man who'd always loved him enter the room. He wasn't that tall, and seemed to be a bit on the heavy side, his white suit jacket flowing round him as he slouched over a cane. His head was fully bald on top with a large scar above his right eyebrow and on to the top of his head in the shape of a cross, the bottom half of his face was covered in a long white beard. He only had eyes for the boy on the sofa and he walked over, stately but fairly quickly, sitting next to the boy and wrapping arms around him. Ichigo fell into the embrace, the familiar smell of the man drifting up his nose, reminding him of his mother, and of being a young child with both of them. Yamamoto had never married and when Ichigo was young, the older uncle had lavished the attention he'd have given his own children on them, his younger sister being his favourite.

He sat back, holding Ichigo's face like he was still a young child, seeing the tears brimming in the beloved brown eyes. They were exactly as he remembered them, twin copies of his sister's and he could see the pain in them as well as the joy at seeing his uncle. "Oh I have missed you boy. I still think we should have kept you close."

"I know Uncle, and maybe I should have listened." Ichigo dropped his gaze for a second but his uncle would have none of it, raising his chin till he looked back up.

"No Ichigo, you have a good life here, Retsu sends me updates on you, the hospital seems to be doing better than ever before. I just wish you had someone in your life to help you deal with your pain, especially now."

Ichigo actually pulled his face away from the older man's hands, taking them in his own and dropping them to his lap. "I know Uncle; I just haven't found anyone yet."

"At least you have the little girl to keep close. I can't wait to see how much she has grown. But we need to deal with you first. Tell me what happened."

"Now Uncle, you have just arrived, surely there is time later for that. We can have tea, and talk about something else, how you have been, anything."

Yamamoto glanced up at Grimmjow, the slave feeling unsure over his position. "No Ichigo, whether you need to send your slave away, or you can speak freely we are discussing it right now. I told that head slave of yours that we are not to be disturbed until I send for him. I need to know everything, including anything you have been keeping to yourself. You know you can't lie to me, you never could. Too much like your mother, and she never kept a secret from me."

"You mean she couldn't. I genuinely don't know how much I can tell you, or if it will be different from what you clearly already know. I was at a party, my drink for spiked and I was attacked, I don't know who did it, or why."

Ichigo had faced away from his uncle, one hand still connected to the older man but his body language said he wasn't happy.

Grimmjow felt the old man's eyes on him again and he did his best to ignore them, maintaining the pose of an obedient slave just waiting for orders.

"Bullshit."

" _Uncle!"_

"You heard me, utter nonsense. Now tell me the rest of it."

Grimmjow didn't know if he wanted to laugh or not at the outburst, the slave just as shocked as his master.

Ichigo scowled at his uncle. "Like what? A man has been hassling me for months, convinced I wanted to sleep with him even though I've done everything in my power to dissuade him. He didn't take no for an answer before and he certainly didn't that night."

Yamamoto clutched at his nephew's shoulder, clearly seeing the young man starting to break. Grimmjow had to figuratively nail his feet to the floor to stop himself moving closer.

"A name Ichigo, I need a name."

"Sosuke Aizen. He sent Tousen in to the bathroom to distract Kisuke and sent a slave over with a drink for me. I only had a couple of sips before I ditched it but I still got dizzy. I tried to go outside to get some fresh air but I got lost, ending up in his dining room. He came up behind me and grabbed me, pushed me to the wall and," Ichigo broke off, sinking his head onto his lap, arms round his head as he sobbed. Grimmjow took a step forward, stopping as soon as the Liege Lord looked at him. The old man kept staring at the slave as he stroked his nephew's back, trying to calm the man.

"What did he do Ichigo, tell me. I can fix this if you tell me."

"Can you fix me too? I see him at night, him biting me, holding me too tight. When I look in a mirror I can still see his hand prints on my skin, his teeth marks on my chest. He forced me against a wall and raped me, he kept talking to me, whispering in my ear about how I'd get used to it, how I was really enjoying it. I couldn't even fight him off. I can beat the crap out of a captain of the police but I couldn't even put a mark on a Lord. It's just pathetic,  _I'm_ just pathetic."

"No, you are not, and I don't need to fix you, there is nothing wrong with you. Marks will fade, even if it takes a bit longer for you. You need to accept you did nothing wrong, and could have done nothing in your condition. Now we just need something to prove it was him. Your Captain Zaraki was good enough to involve the police commissioner in the investigation, well after I called him anyway and Chojiro was more than happy to get involved. Is there anything else you can tell us about the attack, anything else that could pin it to him?"

Ichigo looked away, staring out of the window for a moment. Yamamoto gave him a moment to himself, knowing he'd got a lot more out him than anyone else so far. The large black and white dog his nephew was so fond of trotted up to her master, sitting staring out the window like she could see what he was seeing and the boy reached out a hand to lay it on her head. His other hand was pulled from his uncle's, and went to searching in the cushions behind him.

Grimmjow frowned and tried to see what Ichigo was digging for, wondering if there was something annoying him in the seat. When the young man moved, going to kneel on the floor and sink his whole arm under the cushionhe made a move over.

"My lord, can I help you with something?"

"No, looking for something I hid here, I'll get it." Ichigo reached under the cushion under his uncle, making the older man stand, looking down at his nephew with confusion. "Got it." Ichigo pulled his hand out, fist clenched and took his seat again. "I hid this here the nigth I got back, trying to bury it along with the memories I guess." He held out his hand, knowing both men in the room would be watching it. "I pulled this from my attacker when he grabbed me."

Opening his hand he sneered at the little piece of gold, the T-bar still closed holding on to the deep red piece of cloth it had been through. Clearly engraved on the oval face of the cufflink were the initials  _S.A._


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Grimmjow's initial thought was why did he hide it? Why not give it over as soon as he could but it didn't actually matter why Ichigo didn't hand it over until now, and he hoped this would give the police the lead they needed to force Aizen to cooperate.

Old man Yama put his hand over his nephew's outstretched one, holding the hand for a moment before withdrawing his, cufflink now in his possession.

"Thank you Ichigo, I can't imagine how hard this must be for you. Anything you need, or you want will be yours even if it is just more time." The old man went to get up, a large sigh leaving him.

"Uncle, what is it?" Ichigo stopped the man from rising, grabbing his arm.

He sat back down, both hands on his cane, head slightly bowed. Grimmjow was standing opposite him, and he wondered for a moment if he should offer the man assistance to leave the room, in case he was unable to on his own power.

"Ichigo, I just wish you had someone you could lean on."

"Uncle,"

"No boy, I mean it. You need someone in your life. Anyone who you could love."

Ichigo decided to try the water a bit, having never told his uncle his preference. "Even if that person wasn't female Uncle?"

"Of course, it would be a bit hypocritical of me if I was unhappy about you with a man. There is a very good reason why I have never married or had children." The old man's eyes twinkled a bit, making both younger men a bit queasy. "If a man made you happy, then he would be a blessed soul." The old man opened his eyes a bit, looking directly into Grimmjow's. "Whether he be noble or not."

Grimmjow's face burned, wondering if he had been to forward, if he had made some sign that things weren't as they should be but when he looked back at the man, his eyes were still twinkling, as if he was laughing inside.

He excused himself, saying he was leaving to let Ichigo compose himself and get a little rest. He did say he hoped the young noble would join him for dinner that evening.

Ichigo sat staring at the floor, unsure of what to say now it was out in the open. He'd missed the moment between his uncle and his slave, too engrossed with his own head, and the memories swirling in it.

Grimmjow walked over to the large door and closed it before joining the noble on the sofa, one of his long arms around the younger man automatically. Ichigo leaned into him, one hand clutching at his lapel, burying his nose under the older man's jaw. Grimmjow just held him closer, drawing him onto his lap as he tried to comfort the other. Ichigo's breathing sped up, panic setting in as the previous minutes replayed in his mind and he tried to think of what happened next.

Grimmjow wasn't happy with him stressing himself out as much and pushed him away to look at him properly. "Ichigo, calm down, I've got you."

The warm eyes just stared back at him, their faces so close together that their breath mingled, each tasting a hint of the other. Ichigo surged forward, pressing his closed lips onto Grimmjow's full ones. Grimmjow inhaled sharply, shock registering in his system as he clutched at the man in front of him. He indulged for a second, the taste and sensation of the man in his arms too much to resist but he pulled away, holding the other still for a moment.

"Ichigo, you aren't thinking straight, I don't want you to hurt yourself by rushing into anything."

Ichigo pressed his face back onto Grimmjow's neck, pulling himself up more, until he was straddling the other man, his long silken robe falling open. Ichigo wrapped his arms around the man's neck, keeping his head down. "I don't want to do anything. I just wanted you to kiss me so I could forget, just for a moment. I'm sorry." Ichigo kept his head down as he spoke, to scared he'd see rejection in the other's eyes.

"Look, I want to kiss you, I want to do a lot more than kiss you, but I want you to see me when we kiss, not just be hiding from someone else. You need to come to terms with yourself before you go to anyone else. Maybe Starrk should be the one with you, at least you love him."

Ichigo let out a wet laugh. "I was raped, he didn't even kiss me. I am coming to terms with it, and the fact that when I close my eyes I see him, and when my door opens there is a part of me that panics that it could be him, coming back to get me again." Ichigo sat up, pressing his forehead on the man under him. "When I kissed you just now, all I saw was you; all I thought of was you. You said at least I love Starrk, well I love you too, and even though you can't love me back I just wanted to connect to you, while you were here."

Grimmjow frowned. "What do you mean, I can't love you, and while I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

"Yeah, like when I'm better you'll still lie next to me, when I'm no longer a burden on you, you will still want to hold me close. I know you are with Starrk, and I think you and Nnoitra might be together, I don't want to pry though. I don't want to come between you and either of them. You all deserve to be happy." Ichigo sat back, realising what he was really doing, and after he said he wasn't going to lay a finger on the blue haired slave he actually felt a bit sick. Using the poor man to make himself feel better was bordering on abuse itself. He slunk off the man, realising now that he couldn't have him back in bed beside him, or Starrk really; it wasn't fair, even if it made his heart throb. He turned from the man, trying to keep the other from seeing the tears now in his eyes. He did feel better about it, now that he knew the other didn't think less of him after the mix up at the store and knowing that he was a good man, finally having forgiven his master for striking him and that would hopefully mean he could be with Starrk, and Nnoitra without any past stress worrying them.

Ichigo looked back at the man on the sofa, piling up memories of the man, remembering the feeling of his arms around him, the smell of him lying next to him and the safe feeling he just exuded. He posted them into a little box in his head, where he'd already put the memories of pleasure shared between himself and his lovers, to be stored but not forgotten as they ended. He broke his head away, a nasty little thought creeping into his mind, poison making the tears finally fall down his cheeks.  _Like any of them would want you_ _ **now**_. He clutched on hand to the fabric of his chest, feeling the last pain of a shattered heart eat at his insides.

Grimmjow was behind him a moment later, surrounding him with his strength and kindness. "Ichigo, what are you talking about?" He turned the smaller man, eyes widening at the sight of the man in tears. "Why would I not hold you anymore? I don't want to let you go, ever! I'm not with anyone, not Starrk, not Nnoitra. The one I want to be with, I have my arms around right now. I just don't know if you want me too."

Ichigo surged forward, pressing his lips on the other, needing a sign other than words to profess the emotions. Grimmjow moved one of his hands up to the back of his head, tilting it slightly as he slowed the kiss, pouring everything he had into it. He drank the flavour of the noble down, the sensation of the smaller hands clutching at him made him moan slightly into the kiss, breaking away to pull the man closer into him.

"I don't know what love is, I've never been in love, or been loved but this  _has to be it._  Please don't push me away."

Ichigo just buried himself into the other body, the strong arms eventually lifting him so he could relax totally. The pair ended up entwined on the bed, Ichigo's breathing evening out as he drifted out of consciousness. Grimmjow just held him close, hoping that this cemented his position in the other's heart. They would have to work out the relationship, Starrk already being involved but Grimmjow would share, anything to be part of this man's world.

_iiiii_

Forced to give a sample to be analysed. Nnoitra had crowed when the information had come through. The slaves all sat around in the TV room, music drifting around them from the Sonos system as they played a game of poker, Grimmjow attempting to know what he was doing. Szayel, Nnoitra, Starrk and Zommari were all  _helping_  the new slave but he wasn't convinced it was always the best advice. The betting chips were professional looking, a set belonging to the master but the young noble hadn't joined them this evening. Nnoitra had said it was just as well, the kid was a card sharp; that along with his innocent face made him a dangerous opponent. Ichigo was currently with Tia and Nel, the three having not spent much time together. Nel had to believe Ichigo was her uncle while she was so young and even though she was being taught not to speak out anyway, they couldn't guarantee she wouldn't blurt something out at a bad time. They had always said she would learn her true parentage when she was old enough to understand the necessity of the lie. Plus the innocent pass times of a child were exactly what Ichigo needed just now.

It gave the men a chance to spend some time together and talk about what had been going on, one of them always having to be missing to be with Ichigo since it happened. It had been almost five weeks since the attack and the bruises on his person had finally faded away, the bite marks nearly gone as well. The cuff link had given enough reasonable doubt to make the other noble have to help the police with their enquiries but news from his camp was that he was very unhappy about it.

The news had come in a very unlikely package, Count Ichimaru coming to pay a social call on Lord Kurosaki. The Count was an infrequent visitor to the house, and he usually wound the slaves up the point they didn't look forward to the next one but he had a degree of humanity in the fact that he took the time to wind them up, rather than treating them like furniture.

He's called round unannounced on the premise that he had heard about Ichigo's attack and he was here to visit him, even bringing an enormous bunch of flowers for the man. It was a chance comment, that on reflection might not have been so chance, that had informed Starrk about Aizen's present mood, the latter having thrown a fit when being forced to provide personal samples. Ichimaru had also brought a large envelope with him, sealed and addressed to the captain of the police, in charge of the investigation. He'd asked if it could be passed along when they next saw the man, on the off chance it could help. Because it was sealed with Ichimaru's wax seal, the slaves hadn't been able to look into it but they had given it to Kenpachi when he'd been by earlier that day.

It was late afternoon when Grimmjow tried his hand at shuffling and dealing, this game being the last before Szayel had to go and start dinner. The blue haired man had risen from his laid out position to sit cross legged in the floor mattress as he sorted the cards into one pile. He ended up dropping several as he tried to shuffle them, mentally cursing the other men for making it look easy. A slight knock at the door had them all looking, Ichigo opening it slowly as if he didn't want to interrupt. He smiled as he saw them all, the discarded snack packets and drinks cans and bottles still strewn over the floor. He wandered in, loose jeans hanging off his hips, showing a dangerous amount of skin under the hem of his tight t-shirt. Grimmjow just ended up dropping more card as he continued to try shuffling while tracing the exposed muscles with his eyes.

"Phone for you Starrk, its Kenpachi and he wants you, but he called the house." Ichigo walked closer, not wanting the men to get up when they all looked so comfortable. The brunette took the phone with a smile before standing anyway to back into the corner. Ichigo looked around and saw Grimmjow struggling with his task. Bending down and lifting the pack from the other's hand he straightened with a smirk on his face. After quickly shuffling them normally he looked straight into Grimmjow's eyes as he split the deck in two, bending the cards before riffling them together, the cards snapping straight at the end. He did it again before holding his empty hand out and springing the cards over to it, the desk flying through the air one by one. He tapped the desk onto his palm before handing it back over, winking at the other man. He sauntered out to the awed looks of his new lover.

"Told you." Nnoitra just shoved at the bluenette, demanding he deal.

Starrk was dealt in, and they waited until he had got off the phone, the brunette slouching down to the game again, a large grin over his face. He stayed quiet through, making the others start to huff.

"Right, who's going to beat it out of him while I hold him down?" Nnoitra didn't mince his words, and would have carried them out had the man not started talking.

"Kenpachi just through he'd let me know what was in the package, and to let me know it was now important evidence. I just want to know how the Count got his hands on it."

"Ok, I'll ask, hands on what?" They had all waited for a moment after the head slave finished speaking, Szayel finally caving.

"A deep red shirt, with a ripped cuff was stuffed into the envelopes, and there are marks that look like blood stains on it, as well as a suspicious white mark on the bottom. As it is monogrammed there is no doubt who it belongs to."

"Gin handed us the shirt that fucker was wearing when he touched Ichigo? Why?

"I'm assuming he doesn't agree with Lord Aizen's sentimentalities. I've never really liked Gin, but I might be changing my mind. Think we should keep this from Ichigo just now though."

Grimmjow stared down at his hands, the pair of queens now not as important. "It's going to go to trial though isn't it? Ken said it would probably have to, no matter how much evidence is stacked against the guy, Ichigo would still have to face him in court."

"But it wouldn't be Ichigo against Aizen; Ichigo is just a witness, and more evidence. He wouldn't be there for more than his statement. It'll not be pleasant but he's a tough kid, he wants the guy to go down for it as well."

Yamamoto had left the town a week ago, having spent a lot of time with his nephew and helping the young man to recover. He had told Starrk he would be returning for the trial, and would be sitting in the Master box to make sure everyone knew he was involved. Every court in the country had a Master box, basically a personal seat in the room, all sectioned off especially for the Liege Lord to sit in on the trial. They were rarely used but not this time.

The old man had spoken to the head slave about the possibility of the master's family joining them, specifically his father and step sisters but he had only wanted to warn them. The Liege Lord seemed to be going out of his way to keep the head slave in the loop, occasionally substituting for Grimmjow if Starrk was unavailable. Grimmjow was suspicious of his intentions since that day he had stated he just wanted his nephew to be happy, no matter who the person was. The older noble seemed to know the boy was in love with his slaves; Grimmjow just couldn't see how he was alright with it.

Grimmjow had fished for more information about Ichigo's family, not understanding how a family could be split like that, and a boy going to live with people who were not related.

Starrk had explained that Ichigo and his mother had been attacked, and his mother was shot trying to protect him. He'd blamed himself for putting them in harm's way, and had fought with his father often. Isshin had struggled to recover from his wife's death and his depression had him unable to console his only child, running between verbally agreeing with the child and being distant, not communicating at all. Yamamoto had taken the boy for a short period of time when he saw the struggle between father and son but didn't want to raise a child in the Liege Lord's house so he had adopted him out to an old family friend who was responsible for the strong young man they all knew now. Isshin still had issues with his mental stability, but was coping. Both father and son knew they were unable to have a close relationship, memories bringing too much back to them. Ichigo had met his younger sisters once, twin girls, one with black hair like their father and one with softer brown hair, but that had been years ago.

Grimmjow was glad when the last hand was abandoned, not able to concentrate on the cards anymore and the other's agreed, clearing the room up together. Grimmjow was the last to make a move, and he lay back, laying an arm over his face as he thought. It was a feeling, more than anything else that told him someone was above him, and when he moved his elbow, there was a tall silhouette over him. The shoulder length brown hair was hanging over the handsome face, which was smiling down at the man.

"You alright?"

Grimmjow nodded, not moving from his spot. The other man got back down, sitting at his side with one arm extended to lean on.

"Want to talk about it?"

Grimmjow huffed, smile on his face. "That seems to be all we ever do just now."

Starrk raised an eyebrow, leaning over the other man a bit. "Well, I can think of a couple of other things we might have time for."

That made the other man grin widely, knowing full well what he was hinting about. "Actually, that is something we need to talk about." The brunette raised an eyebrow, clearly thinking why talk about when you can just do it. "Ichigo told me he loved me." A pregnant pause fell over them, Starrk not even changing his expression until Grimmjow was finished. "And I said I loved him."

"Finally."

Not what Grimmjow expected from his lover's lover. "But how, how can you say that, you and him, you are together."

"No we're not. We love each other, and we share ourselves but that's all. No promises of forever, or of monogamy. If I found someone I wanted to be with forever, he'd be the first to congratulate me. And he'd do what he could to make sure we'd be together forever."

"You don't want to be with Ichigo forever?"

"I thought I did, until I saw the way you looked at him. It should have hurt more but I was happy that someone wanted him that much. You need him like you need to breathe, and he seems the same way. When I hold him at night he is restless but when I look at him in your arms he is at peace, both of you are. I hope you are working things out now though."

"Yeah, I've just been so worried about you; I didn't want to cause any problems."

Starrk smiled kindly. "No problems with me. The offer is still there for us though, depending on how you feel about it now though. If you are for Ichigo only I understand."

"I don't know. I know I still want you, and I want to kiss you but I need to figure out what's happening with me and Ichigo first."

Starrk swooped onto the other man and stole an aggressive kiss, pressing the other man into the floor for a moment. When they broke apart, Grimmjow looked at him confused. "Just in case you decide to push me away, I just wanted to taste you, one more time." Starrk gave him a sad smile, his life feeling a bit more insecure now.

He pulled Grimmjow up with him, heading for the door with the other man in tow. He paused right at the door, needing to finish the conversation before they left the room. "Can I be honest? My hope is you and Ichigo have an open relationship, that you still need us, and want us involved with you, both of you."

Grimmjow smirked, stealing his own quick kiss. "Honestly, that's what I hope too."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Grimmjow was fussing with his tie, not sure if he like the way it sat. He was wearing his black suit, with the double collared shirt, the blue tie around his neck. He'd already untied it and retied it three times, still not able to get the knot as neat and small as Starrk could. He'd go and get him to fix it except the man wasn't back yet, having gone out on an errand for their master, the younger man not knowing that he needed more moral support that day.

Gin Ichimaru had been a blessing in disguise, the sly man with the snake grin being almost an inside man in the enemy camp. As he had time for the 'help', the slaves got to find out a lot of information they would otherwise have to get from Ichigo himself, whether he would have told them is a different matter. The man was still bottling things up, something that was becoming a worry for his friends in the house.

Gin was coming by regularly to see Ichigo, and was giving him a peer to lean on. Ichigo would never feel like he needed a proper friend of rank, him feeling naturally that there is no difference between people regardless of state at birth, but out in the world, where etiquette had to be followed, all the slaves were grateful that someone could sit with him and the naturally hands on Count gave Ichigo the grounding he needed when in public. Hence the reason Starrk was going to get him.

Today Ichigo was facing his trial. Not that he was on trial; it just felt that way to the young noble. He'd been stressing out and waspish to everyone in the house, Szayel having a spat with him the day before when he had refused to eat. Grimmjow had been thrown out of the room as well, after taking the pink haired man's 'side'. Short of clambouring over the balcony again, the staff had been unable to speak to the orange haired noble again until he'd come out after dinner, sullen faced as he slumped into the kitchen where they had been sitting for their dinner, which had been cleared away but they still hadn't moved. Ichigo had kept his eyes down and made his way over to Grimmjow's seat, who pulled away from the table as he approached. The younger man curled himself onto his lap, the strong arms wrapping round him as he hid his face away.

"I'm sorry." His voice was very small and sad.

Since all of them cared about him so much they all took a collective sigh, letting the grip of the newest member calm the distraught man. They gave him a little while before Szayel walked over to the pair on the chair, kneeling down to try and catch Ichigo's eye. "If you were really sorry, you'd let me make you something to eat."

Ichigo just nodded, not moving until a plate of roasted cheese on toast appeared in front of him and his human chair. Ichigo just sat up, still seated on Grimmjow and munched on his toast, taking tiny bites but finishing the two slices, mainly due to the concentrated gaze from the rest of the room.

Grimmjow checked his tie in the mirror one more time before heading out, not wanting to embarrass himself in the slightest. The plan of the day was to keep Ichigo's stress level at a minimum. His body was recovered from the pneumonia but he had a natural weakness and raised stress would only make it worse. They were due at the court room at ten am, and hour and a quarter from now and they had to leave in twenty minutes. A light knock at the door made him rush the last steps towards the portal, opening the door as his hand came to the knob. Nnoitra stoop on the other side, the tall slave looking very fine in his grey suit with black on black shirt and tie as he leaned on the door way. He allowed his eyes to travel over the blue haired man's body really slowly, purposely trying to embarrass the man before meeting his eyes with his one slightly lidded, letting the other know he still wanted him.

"Yeah, you look hot too, but you know fine well we don't have time." Grimmjow pushed the man out of the way, heading for the staircase.

"You don't know how fast I can be though. And it's not like it's as messy for us as it is for you and Starrk? It's a great stress reliever you know?"

Grimmjow left Nnoitra on the top landing, knowing the other slave was just winding him up, not that he'd not go for it if Grimmjow suggested it. He was still unsure as to what was happening with his love life. He knew Ichigo was for him, but as soon as Starrk said he was basically taking a step back, it had hurt, and he knew he'd have to sit down with both men and figure out the best way forward.

His fantasies were centred round him with them both, but being open enough to welcome Nnoitra into their bed at times. He knew Szayel was active with the others, but he'd never had a spark with him. He was sure if he saw the pink haired man getting fucked by Nnoitra, something would spark however.

He could picture himself taking Starrk, and Ichigo and possibly Ichigo with Starrk. Maybe Nnoitra taking him, while he took Ichigo or Starrk. There were so many combinations it had to be amazing.

He came to the entrance, the door opening as he'd crossed the room revealing the head slave and the Count, both wet from the rain outside. The Count greeted the blue haired slave, complemented him on his outfit before disappearing into the drawing room with Starrk, the brunette giving Grimmjow a look before he entered to say that he agreed with the Count. The heat in the other's eyes made Grimmjow realise he was turned on, the thoughts going through his head a moment ago to blame.

Szayel and Nnoitra appeared, waiting in the hall with Grimmjow, Szayel not dressed for court as he wasn't going. Only the three others were going with the two nobles, the rest having to stay home but Szayel had wanted to see the master off.

Ichigo eventually made an appearance, dressed in all black. The shirt and tie almost seemed part of the jacket, the colour being such a perfect match and the only hint of light was the silver cufflinks and matching tie pin and of course his hair, now trimmed neatly as he liked it but left naturally spiky.

Grimmjow had a haircut too, and they'd gone for clipping his sides a bit shorter and leaving the top longer, to fall as it did naturally. It seemed like it belonged on him and was universally liked.

The group left the house, splitting between the town car and the Mercedes before jetting off to the court house which was in town thankfully. They got parked in the preferential parking at the court, both cars next to each other and the group left the rainy weather to enter the marble entrance of the court room. Even Ichigo was standing with his head turned up, staring at the magnificent ceiling with the intricate carvings surrounding a huge painting, even the thought of lying on your back to paint that high up made him wince in sympathy. Something bumped the young noble, Ichigo tripping forward with the immediate apology for being in the way. The word faltered on his lips as he realised who was walking away, the brown haired noble glancing back to make sure Ichigo had seen him. Nnoitra was standing in his way in a heartbeat, not letting him get more than a second of face time. Grimmjow was a step behind him, hating the fact he couldn't touch his not yet lover. As Aizen was ushered away, his legal counsel realising what had happened and corralled the man out of the room, he turned to his master, hoping he wasn't panicking and was glad to see not only Gin there for him, but Kisuke had arrived as well, each man taking a side of the distraught noble. Ichigo on the other hand looked furious, surprising Grimmjow, the noble's usual frown pressed deeper and his lips thin as they were pressed to each other. It seemed for a moment that the other nobles were actually holding him back, rather than holding him up.

They got their own side room, something the slaves were grateful for. Once Gin had joined the viewing gallery they would be able to relax, and when Ichigo wasn't in giving statements, they could be normal with each other.

The lawyer on the prosecution side was waiting on them in their room, they had met the man twice when he'd come to the house to speak to each of them individually. He'd deemed only Ichigo and Grimmjow would need to speak to court, though the opposition might call the other two, if they felt it necessary. Kisuke was warned similarly but he would have come anyway for support.

The wait was hard. Ichigo had hung his jacket up and lay on one of the benches, closing his eyes to rest as the others milled around in the room. An hour passed before the door opened, Ichigo being asked to enter the court room. He was away for around twenty five minutes, but it felt a lot longer to the ones in the room. He entered again, white as a sheet and trembling, walking straight into Starrk's arms, the older slave being the closest to him at that point. Grimmjow had come up; hesitating as he tried to make sure the noble was alright. Ichigo was clinging to Starrk, who was trying to get the man to transfer his affections but he was stubborn.

"Ichigo, Grimmjow is here." Starrk turned, facing the younger man at the slave.

Ichigo just buried his head in and Starrk held him close, shrugging at Grimmjow, confused at the noble's choice. He was so sure he'd been replaced in Ichigo's affections.

Grimmjow was called out moments later, Ichigo's choice now seeming a wise one. He walked out of the side door, through a narrow corridor before a door at the end opened and he mounted a set of stairs, entering a small wooden booth as directed, a padded plastic chair waiting inside. He had been told he could sit or stand depending on his preference. He chose to stand, making himself look as large and intimidating as he could, narrowing his cold blue eyes.

He was asked to take an oath, which he did before the questions started. It wasn't really hard, him having only the first contact and the first view of his injuries. He answered truthfully, saying what he saw, and how he'd helped the man. The court heard how he'd seen the marks on the man's trousers, even if they'd been washed away as well as the streaks on his master's inner thighs that he'd washed off after the bath. Having to tell the truth, while hiding his master's true lifestyle was difficult but even after being cross examined by Aizen's lawyer, Grimmjow left the court with his head high, sneering over at the man being held in the dock.

Re-entering the room, it seemed like nothing had changed, like he'd only been gone for a moment of so except Ichigo's eyes were closed, and there was a smear of red under his nose, the bleed starting again and having been wiped away. He went straight to him, gently stroking his face as he knelt at the men's side. Starrk reassured him it was only a minor nosebleed and he'd just been too distraught and when he'd calmed down, the nose had stopped. Grimmjow leaned his head on Starrk's arm, feeling the brunette lean his own onto the blue hair and he inhaled the scent of both men, noting it was a very pleasant mix. He fumbled his hand up and gripped Starrk's hand as it held their love, Grimmjow now knowing he wasn't to be a couple with Ichigo, they needed a third.

_Iiiiii_

The day in court took a lot out of all of them, even if it was mainly sitting around and not doing anything, the tension in the air and the warmth in the room had them all grumpy and sleepy. Ichigo went to head to his room just wanting to fall into his bed but they dragged him to the kitchen, telling in he had to eat.

After a quick think, Ichigo decided he wanted pizza, delivered from a nearby restaurant he loved. As pizza was a universal favourite, the decision pleased everyone. Grimmjow had tried pizza a couple of times, the other slaves having ordered it as well and his favourite had been the spicy one with the hot peppers and spicy meats.

They headed off to the TV room, Tia and Nel joining them and set down to watch a comedy film, Ichigo curling up against Starrk with Grimmjow leaning onto the noble's lap. Ichigo absently ran his fingers through the long blue strands on the top of his head, making Grimmjow want to purr.

The film was about half way through when the food arrived, Grimmjow and Nnoitra going to fetch the boxes. Szayel ran down to the kitchen to fetch bottles of juice, cups and plates for them all and they say around the open boxes on the floor, helping themselves to slices of the greasy food. Ichigo took a peperoni slice and sat cross legged, Nel coming to press against her as she chomped down on her plain cheese slice. The little girl was on her third when Ichigo was still halfway through his first. He'd started picking the slices of meat of his pizza and nibbling on them rather than eating the bread. He glanced up, feeling heated glares and realised everyone was staring at him, and he picked the spice up, taking a big bite out of it, chewing slowly; anything to avoid another lecture. He managed two and a half slices; they were big pizzas, before he cuddled up to one of the big fluffy cushions half watching the film, while he observed his family around him. Little Nel nearly decimated the cheese pizza herself and was dozily sitting, doing her best to stay awake. Tia sat next to her, wiping her face with a napkin before pulling her in to lean against her mother.

Ichigo was joined by Grimmjow, reassuming his previous position in front of Ichigo and Starrk finished up his food before lying behind the noble. They were all pressed quite close together, and Grimmjow felt a hand lie across his body, stroking at his clothes, the thin t-shirt he'd changed into providing a poor barrier to the heat of the hand. The film drew to a close, and Nnoitra put another one on, not having to move thanks to the universal remote powering the on demand film service.

The second film didn't really register on Grimmjow's mind, the feeling of the questing hand more important to him. It travelled under his t-shirt, tracing over the skin on his side before dipping over his abs, outlining each muscle it came to, the warm flat palm lying over his skin and rubbing, blunt nails digging in slightly. The hand travelled up slightly but stopped when it hit the edge of his pecs, smoothing round the curve under them. Dancing down, the naughty fingers ghosted around the rim of his boxers, rubbing over the elastic. A noise grabbed his attention and he glanced over to the other two men in the room, Nnoitra not being nearly as subtle as Ichigo, the tall, black-haired man pulling up Szayel's t-shirt and teasing the pink haired man's nipples. Szayel saw his audience and grinned, though his face looked mildly embarrassed. He leaned over and whispered something in Nnoitra's ear, whatever it was it made the other jerk up, taking his partner with him and they left the room, barely saying a farewell. Now the room was empty to them, Ichigo pulled Grimmjow round till he was lying on his back, Ichigo leaning over him and sealing their mouths with a heated kiss. Grimmjow sank his hands into the wild orange hair, holding the other man close. Starrk ran his hands into both of their hairs, pulling their attention over to him. He pulled Ichigo towards him, stealing a searing kiss before attacking Grimmjow on the floor, pushing him down with his strength, much more than he'd ever use on the younger man. When they broke apart, Ichigo stood, holding out a hand to each of them and the three left the room, heading for the master bedroom.

Once there, Grimmjow was pulled into another hot kiss by the fiery young man, and he pushed Ichigo against the wall, the noble wrapping his arms around his shoulders. Grimmjow groaned into the kiss as their third pressed himself against Grimmjow's back, holding his hips tightly as he pressed wet, open mouthed kisses along the back of his neck. The sensation of being pressed against the two men had him hot and horny, trying to relieve some of the pressure in his groin by rubbing it on the man in front, inadvertently rubbing his ass on the groin behind him. Starrk responded by thrusting his forward slightly, pinning the other two more firmly. Ichigo broke away from the kiss, gasping out as Grimmjow just moved his attentions to his neck.

The noble was a bit breathless but he managed a few words. "Bed, now."

The other two men agreed and the pressure eased, allowing them movement. Grimmjow didn't let go however, deciding to lift the noble, wrapping his long legs around his waist before walking into the bedroom. He dropped Ichigo onto the bed, instantly covering him with his larger frame and sharing another long kiss with him before sitting up. Starrk crawled onto the bed, pulling the blue haired man off the young lord and pulling him into a kiss.

"Sorry folks, but we need a quick pow wow before we start." Starrk placed himself between the other two, feeling he had a shred more self-control; that was unless he watched any more Ichigo/Grimmjow porn then he would certainly lose it. "Ichigo, I need to know that you feel ok with this, and you're not rushing yourself."

Ichigo smirked at him. "I know what I want, but it has far too much clothes on." He held his hands up, preventing Starrk from speaking for a moment. "I know what you mean, but I do want this, and I have waited long enough."

"Right, good." Starrk rewarded his honesty with a quick, but heated kiss. "Next, all of us, are we sure? Is this a one-time deal for me?"

Both other men started to speak at the same time, both heavily denying it. Ichigo couldn't believe his first lover would think he'd want him gone and Grimmjow maintained he wanted both of them.

Starrk had a small flush on his face, and a smirk he couldn't quite get rid of. "Still good." Both of them got a good kiss. "This time, is about Grimm; Ichi, did you know our blue haired Adonis is a virgin?"

Grimm blanched as Ichigo's face snapped to his, the noble's mouth open in genuine shock. "How, why? How old are you?"

Grimmjow frowned at the question, not immediately seeing the relevance. "Twenty six, why?"

"In twenty six years you've never been close to someone, not even for pleasure?"

Grimmjow just shrugged, looking down at the bed sheet, embarrassed with his lack of experience. His face was pulled up by an eager hand, pulling his chin into a sweet kiss, the noble leaning over Starrk's lap to reach him. Grimmjow cupped his face, swallowing a gasp from him. Starrk was not shy at running hands all over his lover, tracing the familiar body under the t-shirt as Ichigo kissed their new lover. He sat back, allowing Starrk to pull his top off, him immediately returning the favour. Starrk hooked his arm around Ichigo, pulling the younger man under him and as the long legs parted, Starrk sank down over him, aligning their groins with practiced ease. Grimmjow sat back for a moment, watching the two men maul each other, Ichigo clutching at Starrk, leaving marks behind him. Starrk was running his hands all over the other, taking more care due to Ichigo's sensitive skin; the noises coming from both of them was making Grimmjow's already excited member, rock solid. He rearranged his legs, trying to relieve some of the discomfort of wearing snug jeans.

His now outstretched legs were grabbed and dragged further onto the bed, Starrk having broken away from Ichigo and turned to him. It was his turn to be pulled under the older man, his strong legs clenching round Starrk's lean body as their erections rubbed against each other under their clothes. Starrk broke away from his mouth, pulling the t-shirt up he transferred his mouth directly to Grimm's left nipple, teeth grazing the little nub as it hardened. Grimmjow arched his back up at the new sensation, his hand sinking into the long brown hair, clenching but not pulling too hard on the strands. Ichigo took his chance to lean over him, delving his tongue into Grimmjow's mouth. He had to break away as Starrk tore the shirt off the blue haired man's body, Grimmjow sitting up for a second to allow it before being slammed down again. His other nipple was graced with the same attention as a wandering hand slunk down his chest, along his muscled stomach before popping the button on his jeans. The zip's noise was hidden by the groan from the man being consumed but he took a breath, eyes opening and his mouth not responding as a large, warm hand wrapped itself around his dick. Ichigo grinned, glancing down to see what the problem was, even though he was pretty sure he knew. Starrk sat up, leaning over the panting man. Ichigo's face was right next to his, both drinking in the other man's lust.

"I am going to suck you off, and then I am going to fuck you. Ichigo's going to watch. After that maybe you can fuck him, if you want."

Grimmjow nodded, unable to say anything as Starrk grinned, dropping a quick kiss on his lips before turning and stealing one from the younger man, his hand sinking into the long hair for a second, holding him close. Starrk crawled backwards, ending up at the Grimmjow's feet before pulling on his jeans, stripping him of his boxers at the same time. Ichigo and Starrk drank in the sight of the man, naked for the first time and flushed with want. His long, powerful legs were sitting akimbo, his long and proud member standing to attention between them, a patch of navy blue hair resting at the base and coating a pair of heavy balls. His upper body was like a dream, every muscle defined, and currently covered in a thin layer of sweat; his face stared back at the other two, drifting between them.

Starrk sank between his legs, reaching up and grasping the thick cock in front of him, stroking it firmly. Both Ichigo and Grimmjow were watching him as he lowered his mouth over the slightly weeping head, swirling his tongue to collect the moisture before taking him in one swoop, sinking right to the hilt without a blink. He was used to deep throating Nnoitra, and he was longer; not as thick at the same time though. Grimmjow writhed, arching off the bed, trying to sink into the sensation at the same time he tried to escape it. Ichigo leaned over him, holding his chest down as he went back in for a kiss. Grimmjow attacked the younger man with his hands, trying not to grasp too hard. He ran his hands down his back, cupping his firm backside above his jeans before squeezing one hand inside to clutch at his skin. Both hands then went to the front, loosening the trousers before pushing them down, exposing more flesh to his wandering hands. Ichigo sat up, stripping himself naked before lying down again. He kept his distance this time, sitting back to watch Starrk; the sight of the dick in his mouth making his own jump. He wrapped his hand around it, slowly stroking himself as he viewed. The precum at the tip was making the ride smooth and he rubbed at his helmet, his fingers feeling rough against the sensitive skin. A large hand ran up his thigh, wrapping itself round his own. He laced his fingers with it, allowing the other to control the strokes. He dropped his own hand away after a moment, leaning back on both arms as Grimmjow jerked him off, the man's larger hand doing an excellent job.

Grimmjow squeezed a bit harder than Ichigo was expecting for a moment, making him cry out, not in pain and he opened his eyes to see Starrk holding Grimmjow's hips down sucking deeply for a moment before he broke away, a big grin on his face. He surged up, capturing the blue haired man in a kiss, the other flinching at first at the taste of himself in the other's mouth but lapping at the tongue as he got used to it. Starrk broke away, sitting up to pull Grimmjow onto his front, lifting the man's hips till he sat on his knees, chest pushed to the bed still.

"This is going to feel strange at first, it shouldn't hurt but it will be a bit weird. I promise you it gets better." Starrk spoke soothingly along Grimmjow's back, lips pressing down on the tanned skin as he worked backwards, ending up kneeling at his rear. He ran his fingers down the side of the small entrance, watching it quiver as he stroked the sensitive skin. He went to stick his fingers into his mouth to moisten them but Ichigo caught his hand, holding the wrist as he licked and sucked at them himself. It made Starrk groan, the feeling of the familiar mouth on him made his dick twitch and Grimmjow responded with his own moan as he watched from his prostate position.

Starrk guided his middle finger down to the little hole, slowly pushing through the strong resistance. He soothingly hushed the man, rubbing at his back with his other hand to try and make him relax. He felt the walls loosen slightly, allowing him to plunge more of his finger in, and start pistoning it. The grip hadn't relaxed much and Starrk started to wonder if maybe Grimmjow was one of the total seme types, who found no pleasure in penetration. Twisting his finger slightly, trying to see if he could find the magic button, he grazed something in Grimmjow that made him jerk, only Starrk's firm hand on his back holding him in place. Starrk turned his finger so he could crook it, rubbing the pad of his finger across the spongy spot. Grimmjow could feel his body sweating and his erection reawakening at the stimulation in his rear. Ichigo lay along the side of him, stroking a hand through his hair as he grinned at the man's wanton face. He allowed his other hand to ghost over the stiff rod between Grimmjow's legs, the man instantly thrusting into his grip to relieve some of the pressure in him. Starrk sank his teeth into the soft flesh of the man's ass cheeks, halting the third thrust midway. Starrk knew what he was feeling, but didn't want him to push back too far and end up hurt on Starrk's fingers. Ichigo's ministrations were helping relax the man and Starrk found himself easing his second, and then his third finger into the man, using their full length to fully prepare him for what was to come. He judged Grimmjow was ready and sat back to remove his own jeans, his dick springing out to smack against his lean stomach.

"Ichi, come help prep me." Starrk sat back, welcoming the orange haired man into his lap. Grimmjow hadn't moved and had an excellent view of not only Ichigo swallowing Starrk's impressive member down, but Ichigo was in a similar position to him, his narrow hips up and his own entrance on display. Grimmjow started to imagine him up behind the other, using first his fingers then himself to bring the other to the same place he was just now.

Starrk hissed, and sank his hand into the spikes on Ichigo's head, his own head dropping back. He pulled the younger man off, a long string of saliva attaching his mouth to Starrk's cock until Starrk pulled him in for a powerful kiss, the younger man clutching at his arms. Starrk grinned wildly at him, laying him back to get comfortable before taking his place again behind Grimmjow. "It's your first time, what do you want, where do you want to be?"

Grimmjow had to take a moment to relearn how to speak. "I don't know, where do you think would be best?"

Starrk was in a quandary, he really wanted to take the man as he was, ass in the air but also didn't want Grimmjow's first time to be about just fucking. He laid across the man's back, one arm wrapped round his abdomen and he pressed a kiss to the centre of Grimmjow's shoulder blades. His dick had drifted between the man's legs and he thrust forward, feeling it rub against the other man's and he moaned into the skin under him. He quickly twisted Grimmjow round, spreading his legs before sinking between them, his dick still against the other.

"Why don't we start here, and see where we end up?" Starrk didn't let Grimmjow say anything before he lined himself up with the prepared entrance and sank in, a bit at a time, swallowing the noises leaving the other's throat. He started to thrust gently once half of him was inside, just using that half to get him used to the large intrusion when Grimmjow raised his legs a bit, changing the position of his hips till Starrk slid home, his balls resting against Grimmjow's ass. Both of them let out loud groans once he was seated, Starrk breaking out in a hot sweat as he trembled, desperate to move and fuck his lover, but not wanting to rush him. Grimmjow was in a similar way, the sensation of the long thick rod inside him was strange, but he wanted more, and he said so, letting the other know it was safe to move. The first thrust was gentle, but they gradually sped up until the sound of flesh striking flesh was loud in the room, second only to the noises leaving the men's mouths. They exchanged messy kisses, Grimmjow desperate for grounding from the sensations attacking him and Starrk needing a distraction from the tight walls around his excited member. He didn't know how long he would last, it was a while since his last session with anyone, and the blue haired man had got him so worked up about fucking him he felt the need to blow.

Glancing over at their third was a mistake, Ichigo leaning so far over to the left; he was basically in a heap as he ran his hand over his dick, his hips thrusting at the same time as he watched them through half lidded eyes. His lean body was flushed and Starrk wished he was closer so he could have joined in more. He looked down to see that Grimmjow was also watching Ichigo, raising his own hips up to meet the thrusts.

Starrk pulled out, pulling the man up with him, exchanging a quick kiss before he pushed him back into his prep position, leaning over him as he re-entered fast and hard, hitting Grimmjow's prostate first time before he started to really fuck him, the blue haired man's language taking a turn for the worst. Grimmjow leaned on his forearms, his fists clenching the sheets beneath him as he felt Starrk's balls impact his own. He could feel his release coming fast but was shocked out of it when he opened his eyes to see Ichigo right in front of him the younger man swooping in for a closed mouth kiss. He lay across in front of Grimmjow, aligning their faces so it was comfortable for them both. With Ichigo's soft hands carding through his hair, directly contrasting with the firm grip on his hips and the relentless pounding In his backside Grimmjow felt himself at his end, breaking away from Ichigo's lips to bury his head on the other's chest as he felt himself release, Starrk's hand gripping at his member just in time to help him ease over it. Starrk dropped to lie over his back, his hips not easing their speed but the tightness around him was sucking his dick too much. He seated himself fully, unable to ease up even a bit as he emptied himself deep inside the other man.

He took a breath before peppering his lips over the exposed back under him, rubbing his hands up the sides of the body, tracing the muscles as he felt the chest under him struggling to return to normal breathing too.

"Fuck that was amazing." Starrk pulled out gently, rubbing a hand over the reddened skin as he flopped to the side, pulling the man down with him to spoon on their sides. "Grimm?" He was a bit worried about the lack of response from the other man.

"Ask me again later, can't think right now." Grimmjow twisted, pulling the man in for a searing kiss, trying to say what he couldn't yet utter.

"Yeah I love you too babe." Starrk just pulled the man closer, enjoying the feel of the hot skin against his.

"Oh hell no, are you pair just going to fall asleep now?" Ichigo was only half joking as he sat watching them. Yeah it was lovely seeing them entwined and comfortable, but the raging hard on between his legs wasn't relenting.

Starrk sat up a bit, eyes hooded as he looked over at the younger man. "Well Grimm, you got anything left? Or is poor Ichi going to have to get to know his hand again?"

Grimmjow ran his tongue over his lips, wanting to jump the noble, all feelings of tiredness retreating as he raked his gaze over the thick full cock bending gracefully towards the toned stomach. Both men started to move at the same time, surrounding the neglected lover, Grimmjow taking the front and Starrk at the back to attack the pale skin, even the lightest love bites leaving marks but no one cared; the man in the middle least so. He let out the most delicious noises as he clutched at Grimmjow's hair, pulling more than he realised but the blue haired man wasn't complaining. He licked and suckled at the rosy nipples, keeping his teeth away on purpose before lowering himself, heading for the weeping head further south. Ichigo was lifted off the bed and onto Starrk's lap, the older man using his own long legs to part Ichigo's, allowing Grimmjow to sink into place easier. Starrk raised Ichigo's arms, hooking them round his own neck before running his hands over the exposed body on him, his dick hardening at the sight. Ichigo was so vulnerable, totally displayed for them both to see, Grimmjow still drinking in the view before swallowing the cock in front of him.

He was slightly nervous, having only ever received one blow job in his life he wasn't sure of what to do and both Starrk and Ichigo realised this. Starrk relieved the pressure on Ichigo's arms, and they both went to touch their third, reassuring him.

"Just try and see how it feels, you will enjoy it. Don't go too far though; Ichi is shaped wrong for deep throating this way. I'll show you how later ok?"

Grimmjow nodded, eyes only for the blood filled helmet in front of him. Steeling himself, he swept his tongue out and tasted it, running his tongue down the length. Finding it only strange, and not unpleasant, Grimmjow swallowed him down, bobbing his head like he'd seen Starrk do to him. He felt Ichigo move with him, and figured he must be doing something right.

"Let your cheeks hollow out as you pull up, it'll create suction."

Grimmjow followed the tip and heard Ichigo cry out, making him repeat it, faster and harder. His hand moved up and cupped the soft balls under the cock in his mouth, fondling them gently, scratching his blunt finger nails over the sensitive skin. Grimmjow looked up, still sucking, and saw Ichigo's head pressed back on Starrk's shoulder, the brunette looking over his shoulder to watch Grimmjow while holding the younger man firmly against him, his own erection evident under Ichigo, peeking out between his ass cheeks. Grimmjow pulled himself off Ichigo, holding him up while he ran his tongue over the other man's dick before sucking at the sacks, pulling one then the other into his mouth. Starrk's head was now pressed heavily into Ichigo's neck as Grimmjow swirled his tongue over Starrk's bell end, before returning to Ichigo's, taking him as deeply as he could. He could feel what Starrk had meant about Ichi being shaped wrong to go down your throat; he curved up along the roof of Grimmjow's mouth and hit the gag response at the back of his throat each time. A hand in his hair pulled his head off and he released with a pop, sitting back for a moment. Ichigo was breathing heavily, body still exposed fully as he lay in Starrk's arms. It was Starrk that had stopped Grimmjow, and he helped manoeuvre Ichigo, leaning over him and whispering in his ear, both of them gazing wickedly at Grimmjow.

The blue haired man was quickly laid on his back, Ichigo's dick back in his mouth as the younger man straddled his head, resting on all fours before swallowing Grimmjow's own down, having to hold the hips with his hands as he bobbed on it. Grimmjow was doing his best to remember to breathe, with Ichigo's cock now slipping down his throat with ease; and he swallowed around it, making the younger man whine around his own. Starrk came into his view, sitting just behind Grimmjow's head, his throbbing cock being in view as well. Grimmjow wondered whether Starrk was going to take Ichigo himself at first before the older man leaned forwards, running his tongue over Ichigo's entrance, while running one hand through Grimmjow's hair on the side of his head. He looked down into the cerulean eyes, smiling gently. "I'll prepare him for you; I'll show you how another time alright?"

Grimmjow just nodded round Ichigo's dick, watching as Starrk fucked the noble with his tongue, spearing the tight muscle one moment before widening his tongue the next and lapping at it. He worked two fingers into it gradually, still running his tongue around the entrance, making it dripping wet with his spit, one drip running over the tight sacks and down past Grimmjow's mouth, disappearing down his cheek. Grimmjow was mesmerised by the hand fucking Ichigo, the two fingers had grown to four, the pinkie tucked in between the other three. Starrk twisted his wrist, shallowly thrusting in until Ichigo broke his face off Grimmjow's dick, screaming hoarsely as he came, Grimmjow having to deal with the torrent down his throat, spluttering slightly as some of it escaped. Starrk was looking slightly apologetic as he helped Ichigo get off the other man, Grimmjow coughing as he cleared his throat. He went to wipe his face on his arm when Starrk grabbed his chin, lapping the mess he was responsible for away. He ended with a peck to the lips as he grinned at the other man.

Ichigo wasn't shy as he hauled Grimmjow to him, wrapping his arms and legs around the larger man, lying back onto the bed. Grimmjow felt his dick ache as it lay on the man's hot skin, desperate to feel the inside of him. Starrk smoothed Ichigo's legs higher, guiding Grimmjow's hand to his own member then helping him penetrate, taking control of the speed.

Grimmjow just tucked his head, gritting his teeth as the hot, tight tunnel absorbed him. Ichigo moved on him, fucking himself on the thick rod and that brought a response, Grimmjow thrusting forwards instinctually. He sat up, looking down to see himself disappearing and he let out a long moan, thrusts speeding up. Starrk was behind him, one hand on Ichigo's hips to stop them meeting too harshly. Grimmjow could feel the hard dick pressed against his back and the thought of the other re-entering him made him thrust a bit too hard, though Ichigo loved it.

Ichigo did like being taken harshly, the feeling of being utterly dominated turned him on, but he wasn't interested in being tied up or anything; just the pure strength in another's body was enough. And his new lover was so powerful, he could get a handhold in the cords of his arms, the shaped muscles standing out as well as the chords in his neck. Of course he wasn't stupid to know he couldn't take it as hard as he would like, it did feel good when he got it.

"Can you pull him up, onto your knees? I'll help you hold him." Starrk's voice was breathy, his hands all over the others.

Grimmjow sat up, pulling the smaller man into his arms. Ichigo clung to his lover with arms and legs, gasping at the sensations the move was giving him. His head was buried in Grimmjow's neck, his breath moistening the other's skin.

Starrk was behind him again, holding onto the underside of his hips guiding him up and down, aiding Grimmjow with his own strength. He laid his head against Ichigo's, lips nipping at his ear.

"Can you take us both?"

Ichigo moaned at the statement, nodding his head as he raised himself up in the grasps.

Starrk wrapped his arm around Ichigo's torso, grasping his member while guiding himself to the already full entrance with the other hand. He pressed in, feeling the flinch of the younger man at the burn of fullness in him. Grimmjow almost screamed as the second dick slid up beside his own, unable to move as he felt Starrk start to thrust, the rub against him enough to get him going. Starrk stilled, readjusting his grip on the younger man before beginning to raise and lower the Ichigo over both of them, Grimmjow's arms grasping at his after a moment to aid him. They both stood on their knees, spread out to support the weight as Ichigo was fucked over them. The noble was boneless, cries and whimpers leaving his mouth at each double impact to his prostate. Grimmjow and Starrk's eyes snapped to each other over his shoulder as they felt the muscles surrounding them move, Ichigo wrapping a hand around his back to sink into Starrk's long hair as the other grabbed blue strands before he dropped himself harshly, crying out as he painted Grimmjow's stomach with his release. His body slumped forwards, hands dropping loosely as his internal muscles squeezed the sense out of the other two men. They quickly adopted an alternating rhythm, one entering as the other left, Grimmjow coming first before Starrk followed him, both men feeling the over flow come down their members to drip onto the bed covers. Slumping down, Grimmjow landed on his backside, Ichigo still in his arms and Starrk following. Starrk pulled himself out gently, Grimmjow's softening member making an exit as well, drawing a groan out of the younger man. Ichigo was quickly losing consciousness, the exertions along with the stress of the day having taken its toll and the other two men gently lifted him into the bathroom, cleaning themselves as well as him of all traces of their love making before returning them all to the bedroom. Grimmjow stood holding Ichigo bridal style as Starrk quickly stripped the sheet off the bed and snapped a new fitted one on, smoothing the unsoiled covers back onto the bed and reseating the strewn pillows. Ichigo lay between them, dressed in a pair of his pj bottoms, pressed up against Grimmjow's side with Starrk spooning behind him. Grimmjow's long arm played with the ends of Starrk's hair behind his head while the other one was over Ichigo's hand on his own chest.

Ichigo sighed loudly, a small smile on his face. "I love you both."

Grimmjow looked over at the brunette, seeing the smile on his face made him return it. "I love you too, and you Starrk."

Starrk buried his face into Ichigo's hair, closing his eyes against the tears threatening to fall. He briefly opened them, not speaking but communicating his feeling clearly to Grimmjow anyway before snuggling down in the combined warmth.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

It turned out that Ichigo was a total cover hog, something that hadn't appeared yet during the sleep overs previously, whether that being because of the three person sleep over or what Grimmjow didn't know but even gently trying to untangle the noble didn't work, the young man just curling up tighter in them, pulling the side off Starrk as well. The brunette sat up sleepily, frowning at their bed partner before shrugging, sliding off the bed and coming round to Grimmjow's side, slumping on top of the blue haired man and sharing their warmth that way. Grimmjow sat wide eyes for a moment as Starrk made himself comfortable the shaggy head sitting neatly in the hollow of his shoulder. Deciding this was a more than acceptable alternative; Grimmjow just wrapped his arms around the other and sank back into sleep.

The morning came slowly, waking the men up gradually. Ichigo was the first to make a move, the heat he'd accumulated in his cocoon was uncomfortable and he gently unrolled himself. Looking over at his bed mates, he smiled gently, Starrk's left hand was on Grimmjow's heart and the blue haired man had his hands loosely clasped behind Starrk's back and his head was resting on the brown hair. Ichigo was glad neither snored, and that they both seemed to be heavy sleepers allowing him to grab his phone off the bedside and snap a quick photo of them together. It would be the first picture he had of Grimmjow, but he'd have to get it off his phone and away in case something happened to the device. If he lost it and there were incriminating photos on there they would all be in trouble.

Taking a quick trip to the toilet, accompanied by Willow, who seemed to enjoy watching her master pee, something that had seemed nothing when she was a puppy had turned into a habit that Ichigo couldn't get her to break and he had to now live with. Starrk had just laughed when Ichigo had complained about it saying he'd made the problem and he had to live with it. He washed his hands and flicked water at the dog as he walked to the towel rail, making her shake her big head, her loose ears snapping to either side. They walked out of the room together and headed back to the bed, Ichigo's hand on Willow's back as they walked. He got back to see the other men had moved, Grimmjow now on his side with Starrk up behind him, their legs curled up and hands holding each other. Ichigo gave Willow a last stroke before climbing onto the bad gently, scooting backwards so he could fit into the embrace, playing littlest spoon and the arms of his lovers' reached out for him, holding him close. It took about three breaths to relax him, just in time for an alarm to go off, Starrk's phone having been set to get them all up for court for the three days they had to attend. Starrk pulled his hand off the other men and groped around, trying to find the phone without having to really move, using Grimmjow as ballast to keep him in the bed. He pulled the device to him, thumbing past his lock screen to silence the alarm, glaring blearily at the time with accusing eyes.

The men got up and even though a shared shower was suggested, it was decided that it would be unproductive, and they had a time deadline. Starrk and Grimmjow headed to their separate rooms to grab the essentials before heading down to the showers each only having a washroom with a toilet in their rooms. They took cubicles next to each other and took care of their needs simultaneously before standing at the mirrors together, towels round each other's waists as they set up their toiletries for shaving, Grimmjow with a razor blade and foam and Starrk with his electric trimmer, and their toothbrushes.

It didn't take long for them to get ready to go, Grimmjow now practiced at shaving his own face with minimal bleeding, and they headed back to their rooms to get dressed, having slung on a pair of jeans for walking through the house.

Breakfast was a modest affair, none of them being particular morning people but Szayel still made good porridge, even if the young noble among them mostly played with it. Ichigo was sitting in his suit trousers, black again, his shirt tucked in but not done all the way up and his tie loose around his neck, black also, but different from the day before; he was holding his spoon high, watching the globs of cooling porridge slop down into the bowl, the thick, viscous liquid not splashing. Szayel rolled his eyes, tutting as he walked over and snatched the spoon out of the younger man's hand, glaring down at him.

"You are going to end up wearing that, whether because you drop it, or because I throw it at you!" Ichigo scowled, keeping his eyes down, muttering under his breath. Szayel couldn't hear him but knew it would be unflattering to say the least. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that."

The scowl deepened but Ichigo wisely shut his mouth, turning his head to the side.

"You know the anorexic mute look is in this season." Nnoitra smirked into his own nearly finished bowl as the room snapped their eyes to him after his jibe. Ichigo's gaze was the one that burned the most, closely followed by his new blue haired body guard, the new beau obviously not happy at the close cutting comment. "It will be a pain to have to get a new wardrobe, but think of all the money we'll save on not feeding you."

"Fuck off." Not the wittiest come back but it was all Ichigo could come up with on short notice. He was sick of being force fed when he wasn't hungry. He'd never been a big eater, and when he was stressed, it was worse. Cheese, now cheese was something he could eat a lot of, soft cheese with crackers, or just a chunk of hard cheese to chew on. He even liked the processed cheese, enjoying a cheese dipper for a snack. That made his mind up, abandoning the starchy breakfast to hunt out his favourite, feeling the eyes following him from the table.

Opening the large larder fridge, he turned to the door; staring at all the little doors and shelves where the cheese was stored. A large block of smooth red cheese came out, followed by a wedge of brie and a small sausage of smoked. He placed each onto the wooden chopping board before taking a knife from the block and carving himself a chunk off each, starting with the red, holding the chunk in his mouth as he cut the other two. The smooth flavours of the three cheeses made him moan under his breath, mixing them in bites to get more combinations. He felt it needed something sharper, and he went on the hunt again, the remainder of the red slice in his hands to snack on during the journey. He grabbed the provolone and cut the tip off the wedge, setting it in his mouth to melt as he closed the fridge door and his eyes to savour the flavour cutting through the buttery after taste of the smoother cheeses.

The cheese slid down his throat, leaving him wishing he had a good glass of red wine to relish in the experience, and he opened his eyes to see the entire room still staring at him. He cracked a smile, a light blush dusting his face as he realised the spectacle he'd been making of himself and he rubbed at the back of his neck. Szayel came up next to him, slinging an arm round his shoulders, leaning his head in to lean it against Ichigo's own; the pink hair mingling with the orange, something that should have clashed horribly just blended smoothly.

They headed off after clearing up, the second day of the trial starting early. Today was the chance for the opposition to bring in their own witnesses and evidence, the people of the court getting to hear their version of events. Grimmjow was simmering as he sat thinking, realising it was not exactly a fair process, whoever had the lawyer who could bullshit the best won; even if there was a plethora of evidence to the contrary. Ichigo was pale as he sat on the bench beside him, his feet on the seat as he held his knees to his chest. It made him seem small and very young, making Grimmjow wrap an arm around him. Gin was back out in the public area, he'd not been back to the house the night before but as it had only been them in the stands, they hadn't missed anything really. It was today's statements that would be interesting, to the staff anyway, they doubted Ichigo would want to hear about the fabrication Aizen's lawyer had thought up to protect his client.

The best part of evidence for their side was the trace of Aizen's swimmers that the doctor had extracted from Ichigo the morning after. It wasn't possible to get and exact time on the release but it would have to have been within thirty six hours for the sample still to have been "wriggling". That had been Kisuke's term.

Ichigo was called back into court after lunch, the morning having dragged on for everyone and they were allowed to leave once he'd returned; something they were all glad for when they saw him, the usually pale skinned young man looking faint as he returned to the room. Nnoitra had been the closest one to the door that time and had lunged to grab the noble, seeing him shaking on his feet. Grimmjow and Starrk streaked over to their lover, their hands on his face and hands, brushing his hair back. Nnoitra took a seat, holding Ichigo on his lap as they tried to calm him.

"Ichigo, what happened? Ichi," Starrk squeezed his hand, kneeling at his side as he tried to get the young man look at him. The brown eyes were unfocused and stared into nothing, filling as the others watched, a thick tear falling down his cheek as he failed to do anything to stop it. It wasn't the last, once the torrent had started they fell like rain, unstopping even as Nnoitra pulled him to his chest, pressing a brief kiss onto his head before passing him over to Grimmjow, hoping their brief but strong relationship could help ease his pain. Grimmjow clutched at his lover, feeling the hand of their third on his shoulder as he tried to get through to the other man.

It was no use and they decided to head home, maybe the change of location might help soothe the distraught young man. Ichigo managed to get to his feet by himself and they headed out, silently walking in formation, the black suits and tall imposing figures making and impressive sight. They were nearly out when the desk guard stopped them, a message for Starrk in his hand. Starrk said to them to head out, he'd catch them up after he spoke to the lawyer, but Nnoitra slung the Mercedes' key at him saying they were just going to head, not wanting to wait around.

The brunette grabbed it out of the air, pocketing it before heading back into the building, Ichigo's lawyer standing waiting for him back around at their little room.

"I hope it doesn't inconvenience your master too much to detain you for a moment. I thought I'd better brief you quickly on what happened today, as Lord Kurosaki was visibly distraught when he left the room."

"I feel that is an understatement and I have had the others take him home to rest, his adoptive father with him."

"Wise idea. The opposition's main point is that there was consensual sex between them earlier in the evening, but that the rape had been with a different party something that has left Lord Aizen distressed."

Starrk felt the nails of his hand bite into his palms, fury radiating from every pore. "And what was said to Ichigo's insistence that it was him that raped him?"

"That is why Lord Kurosaki had to return to the room, to face the claim that he was in a hidden relationship with a man and was too ashamed to admit it. The opposing counsel even said his reaction of disgust only strengthened their claims. Unfortunately he was unable to face the questions, and it has given them a strong basis to put a not guilty plea in, especially when you take the drug into consideration, Lord Kurosaki might have imagined the whole thing."

Starrk knew the man was doing him a favour, letting him know all this but that didn't make him want to hit him any less. He'd stood in the room, hearing these lies and hadn't done anything?

"I objected, saying it was a desperate counter and with the evidence we still have a strong side. I just thought you'd better know what happened, he did really well, considering."

"Thank you, I better catch them up. Please let me know if anything else comes out."

Starrk was reassured that he would before leaving the building, sliding in behind the wheel of the sleek German car. He didn't get to drive all that often, need in the back as the manager of Ichigo's estates but he did love to get his hand on the leather steering wheels and left rip.

Even after being detained by the lawyer, and Zommari no doubt breaking a few speed laws to get their master home, Starrk still pulled into the garage before Zommari had finished parking properly, the Mercedes sliding into its home across the large space. Starrk got out, slamming the door a little harder than necessary as he stormed into the house, finding Grimmjow and Ichigo already up in the noble's room and Nnoita in the kitchen with Szayel.

Before the brunette could speak his phone went off, signalling a text; Count Ichimaru was on his way to speak to Ichigo about the day's events. Starrk knew he was coming to speak to them all but etiquette was a necessary evil in all their lives.

He sent a message up to Grimmjow, letting the blue haired man know Gin was coming but not what he knew before he disappeared outside, Nnoitra's frown following him.

Starrk just needed a moment to himself, and he knew where to get it, in his own little hideout with his puppies. He had offers for the current breed, all of them having now had an offer on them he was happy to accept and only two of them still in the shed after their brothers and sister had been picked up in the previous weeks. The boy and girl left were being sent further away, meaning Starrk was holding onto them longer so they were more mature for the journey. He was training them with their new names, Sandy for the girl and Jack for the boy so they would have less work when they arrived.

Diesel was wriggling and writhing as he entered, the big pup knowing better than to bark for attention and he dropped his hand in, feeding a couple of liver snaps to the dog before stroking its big head. Diesel stood up with his paws on his little gate, the barricade doing nothing to stop the long legged dog really, he stayed because he'd been trained to; the pup was nearly on eye level with Starrk when he stood like this. He let out a low whine, quiet and just trying to communicate to his trainer.

"Hey pup, you miss me? I know Yammy isn't as good a chew toy as me but at least you're getting out eh?" The dog leaned into the hand scratching his ears. "You are such a big pet, Diesel; do you know your name yet? Diesel?"

The pup looked up, tilting his head when his name was spoken, the familiar phrase clicking in his head. He jumped back, his back end being taken over by his over active tail; a low wuff answering Starrk.

"Good boy, hey you want to come into your new home? Your master would like to see you I'm sure." Starrk opened the little gate, the pup leaving only once it was fully open and waiting over by the door.

Starrk checked on his last two puppies, and their mother who was looking more harried than usual; clearly the two left were bored playing with just each other. He left the house smiling, the large blue puppy at his heels; any dog trained by him, and not ruined by spoiling masters, would walk to heel without needing a lead. He went in through the kitchen door, Szayel squawking at the animal in his kitchen before they headed into the house, the dog trotting up the stairs as if he was in a house all the time. Starrk hesitated at Ichigo's door, knocking lightly before waiting for a reply. Ichigo called out and he entered, the dog at his heels.

The two men in the couches were glad to see him, Ichigo's face still overly pale as he sat in Grimmjow's arms. It brightened as it saw the puppy standing with his ears perked as he surveyed the new domain. Ichigo called out to it, and the dog looked up to his trainer, wanting to go but knowing better. Starrk gestured with his chin, the dog trotting off to investigate, starting with the man on the sofa. Ichigo giggled as the cold wet nose travelled over his face and both Grimmjow and Starrk smiled in response, glad to see the noble out of his dark mood. Diesel transferred his affections to Grimmjow, nudging at the bigger man's hand until he relented and gave the pup the affection he wanted. Grimmjow rubbed the soft ears with both hands, bringing the dog's head to his face and pressing his nose to it, inhaling the puppy smell. Ichigo sat up, smiling at the sight before he turned to Starrk.

"You trying to cheer me up with puppies?" He turned back to the pup as his aunt and grandmother made an appearance to investigate. The two bigger dogs sniffed at the intruder but recognised the scent of their sister and daughter allowing them to accept him in their room.

"If I wanted to do that I would have brought the two hellions. No, I thought it was time for Diesel to get used to his master."

Ichigo frowned, wondering if he was getting another house pet when Starrk gestured to Grimmjow, the man once again with his hands full of blue toned fur.

"A blue for a blue eh?"

Grimmjow looked at them both, hands freezing on the dog as he realised what they were meaning. "He's mine?" Grimmjow couldn't even imagine what a large breed dog, bred and trained in a noble's house could even be worth and he was just getting given him, undesirable markings or not.

"Well, it seems fitting don't you think? He's an unwanted lout, with blue hair and an attitude. Why shouldn't he live here too?"

Grimmjow smirked, a wicked look in his eyes at the description before filling his arms with his pet, his own animal to look after and love. It actually brought a tear to his eyes.

"Hey, if he cries when we give him a dog, what is he going to be like when he gets his own horse?" Ichigo was sniggering next to him.

Grimmjow's head snapped up, having had no compulsion to get back on a horse after spending an embarrassing afternoon getting thrown off one. Nnoitra had tried to teach him the basics, but Grimmjow had been too stiff and spooked the horse too much. The look on his face sent the two with him into gales, Ichigo gaining colour back in his face as he laughed. That made Grimmjow happy, even if it was at his expense.

Ichigo pleaded tiredness, promising he'd get something to eat later, he headed to his bed. He told the other two to go get their lunch; he'd be alright with Willow and Fawn for a bit as long as someone was there when he woke up.

That allowed both of them to get down to grab a bite before the Count arrived, and for once letting the staff congregate and discuss what had happened.

Gin arrived with a grim look on his face, handing his coat off to Barrigan with a small thanks before jerking his head into the drawing room, Kisuke, Starrk, Nnoitra and Grimmjow joining him. Szayel dashed to the kitchen to get a tea tray ready before serving the Count, standing alongside his friends to hear what the Count had to say.

Kisuke sat opposite Gin, both having a delicate cup of tea in front of them but ignoring it and the plate of sweets on the tray. Starrk was asked to sit as well, Grimmjow coming to stand at his side. Gin spared that move a small smirk, not his usual snake grin though.

"Sousuke is claiming he and Ichigo were lovers, and that Ichigo is too embarrassed to admit it, and with the evidence pointing to Aizen, he had no choice but to pin the blame there. Aizen heartfeltly told him to just admit it, and withdraw the charges so they could be together again. Thought the kid was going to throw up at that point." The grin had widened for a second at his own joke. "Anyway, that's the defence as it stands, I don't think anything Ichigo could have said today would have helped anyway but he barely answered the questions he was given. I was so sure he was going to pass out of have a nose bleed or something."

"He's upstairs resting at the moment, he hasn't really said anything."

"He'll be alright; it just took him by surprise I'm sure. We need something to pin down Aizen, to break this gentle loving man look for the court. Even Liege Lord Yamamoto's presence didn't alter it, and boy was the old man glaring daggers at him, I think we could just put them in a room and let the old guy deal with it, he is the king after all, who's going to argue?"

Grimmjow smirked, the thought conjuring an amusing image, one that would probably end in their favour.

Kisuke wasn't smiling; he was looking at the silver haired man opposite him, glad of his information but still maintaining a level of suspicion. "Why are you helping us Ichimaru, why would you cross Aizen after years of licking his boots?"

"Because I want rid of him as much as the rest of you, the only way I've been able to keep adrift of things was to stay close to him."

"And why would you need to keep up with things, he's a Lord, why would it matter."

"He has something that belongs to me, and but he doesn't know I want it back, yet."

"What could be so important that you'd risk helping us and losing it forever?"

"It's not a what, it's a who; and if he'll do  _that_  to a noble who knows what he'll do to her."

"Who?"

"Rangiku, she was my slave and he took her, because he wanted her for himself, to look at and admire. But she was more than a slave to me. Same as you are more than slaves to your master." Gin's eyes opened, looking between Grimmjow and Starrk.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Starrk stood up, eyes hooded as he realised they were in trouble, Nnoitra joining him in facing the noble. They all knew it was a possibility for the secret to come out, and had spoken about contingency plans but they could hardly disappear in the middle of a court case.

The Count was sitting back in the seat, reclining so he could see the faces high above him, his grin in place. "Oooo, that struck a nerve. And here I thought you'd be sympathetic to my plight, not make me think I'll be found in a ditch somewhere."

Starrk glanced at his friends, and across at Szayel, looking for a clue to what they were thinking. "Sir, I am unsure to what you are referring. If Lord Aizen has one of your slaves then surely you can appeal to a court on your own to have your property returned."

Gin's face darkened. "She is not property, nor have I ever treated any of you as property. If that's how you are going to play it then fine, I'll still be here for Ichigo but I'll take my leave of you." He stood up, the grace of the nobility making his motions elegant as he brushed himself off, heading for the exit.

Starrk closed his eyes, making a decision that wasn't really his to make and would be on all their head, Ichigo's as well. "Wait."

Gin turned on his heel, hands in his pockets and his grin sneaking back. "Well which is it Starrk, can you help get my friend back?"

"Can you tell us more? Help us understand the situation more so we can figure something out?" He turned towards the noble, Nnoitra wrapping a hand around his elbow in caution.

Gin moved slightly, leaning on the archway with his arms now folded across his chest. "Mutual sharing then, I'll go first if you'd like but it will be your turn after that."

Starrk nodded, gesturing for the man to return to his seat but he didn't move.

"Rangiku was one of my mother's girls, brought in to wait on her, to be a companion after she was told to not have any more children. She had always wanted to have a little girl but she was stuck with just me. Rangiku was the second child she'd bought, the older one now being her hand slave, and the younger girl sang for her, and gave her someone to dress up and so on. She was a beauty when she was ten, a little horror though; constantly in trouble with the other slaves but she behaved for my mother. I was one of her frequent co-conspirators, being only a couple of years older and playing with the rest of the younger slaves on weekends. We used to drive the head slave to pulling his hair out after we'd do something then run to my mother's room, turning into the perfect young noble and handmaiden before he could get his hand on us." Gin's creepy grin had softened slightly as he told his story.

"Anyway we grew up, and she just got more beautiful, never lost her naughty streak and had the most wicked smirk. Then Lord Aizen came visiting, and started to recruit me into his peer group, he spotted her and asked my father for her, since she had outgrown her use to my mother specifically he sold her, to that," Gin broke off, covering his face with his hand for a moment, grin forgotten.

"She was gone, just another slave but she was my friend, more than that but we don't speak of things like that, do we Starrk?"

"And now you want her back?"

"I've always wanted her back that is the only reason I have been with Aizen was to keep tabs on her, in the only way I could. At least if I was at his house regularly I could see her, even if only in passing." Gin stopped speaking; his face unhappy in its silence and the others gave him a moment to collect himself. "If Aizen goes down, his estate will be broken up, probably given to Ichigo and my only hope of getting her is to buy her off him, but I need you to know why this is so important to me."

"Ichigo will give her to you, if he can."

"You in love with him?"

"Yep."

"Grimmjow as well?"

Starrk just nodded.

"Thank you for trusting me."

"Thank you for being there for him."

Gin nodded, making his goodbyes before leaving then in peace.

_iiiiiiii_

Starrk sat in his room, needing some time to himself later that day. He didn't know where the other's had gone, but he was pretty sure Grimmjow had gone up to Ichigo, he had made a suggestion that they should both go and distress but Starrk had declined, telling the other to carry on without him, reiterating he meant the same as Grimmjow about the stress relief method. He hoped the pair enjoyed themselves.

He just didn't know how to solve this problem, how to get Aizen away for all of them. He wished he could phone up Ichigo's uncle and talk to him about this, the Liege Lord possibly could help but it wasn't his place. It was so frustrating to have all the double standards, even if they didn't exist in his own house. As head slave with a proven record he had more liberties than most in service but he was still  _in service_  and would never be seen as anything else, never be able to be with Ichigo properly. He and Grimmjow could be together properly, even get married with their Lord's permission as same sex couples were allowed but it would make them a pair and he would never do that to Ichigo, he doubted Grimmjow would want it anyway.

Their next court day was in three days, the break for a different case that was prearranged and it would give the officials time to sort themselves out. Ichigo had some official business to take care of, an appointment at the hospital tomorrow coincided with a meeting with the department heads for the yearly budget so they would be out for most of the day for that. He mentally pencilled in a day of relaxation for them all, maybe get the blue haired slave back out on a horse and they could go on a trek.

He laid his head back on his white sofa back, closing his eyes for a moment as he remembered the slave pressed against his back on the horse that day they'd stopped Ichigo building a fence. And of course that brought images of Grimmjow stripped to the waist, wielding the sledge hammer like it was made of air as he brought it down on the posts.

It wasn't as if he had not mental images of the man naked, he'd had his cock buried inside the man's tight ass the night before, stripping the man of his virginity and getting to make his scream. Possibly he could get the favour returned soon but he wanted to give some time to the other two, just to let them get to know each other. It wasn't like he couldn't go to Nnoitra or Szayel, depending on what he wanted, to work out his frustrations right now but he didn't want to, and didn't know if he ever would again if he was honest with himself. The thought of Nnoitra fucking Grimmjow left a bad taste in his mouth, but the image of Ichigo doing it was the opposite. Not that the noble took the seme position often, preferring to be dominated by his lovers. He had wanted to be ridden, lying back as Starrk himself was impaled on the curved member. It was perfectly shaped to press onto his prostate and had made him cum so hard it had painted the young Lord's face, and he'd used his long tongue to remove what he could as Starrk recovered on top of him.

The thoughts were giving him a problem in his trousers, and the thought of what was going on next door wasn't helping. The walls were too thick for any noise to pass through so he'd actually have to go and open the door to find out if his suspicious were right.

He reasoned a peek wasn't interrupting, just a little look into the room to hear what was going on shouldn't put them off but he wasn't going in.

The large door was well maintained and opened with no noise. The noises from the bed area were unmistakeable however and he clearly made out the hoarse groans of the blue haired man in ecstasy, making him wonder what was going on. When he thought about it logically, it was probably Ichigo deep throating the man that was drawing out the noises, the younger man being silent and if they were both busy with that, they would never notice him if he were to glance through the archway, just for a second to see how it was going.

A second wasn't long enough to appreciate the long, heavily muscled body of Grimmjow however, the abdominal muscles squeezing and ebbing as he tried to hold still under Ichigo's ministrations; Starrk knew first-hand what suction level the kid could being, it was almost unholy.

Ichigo stopped for a second, looking up the ripped body to look into the other's eyes, Grimmjow reaching down for him, pulling him up so they could kiss, the un sheathed cocks bumping together as the men deepened the kiss, Ichigo's arms wrapping round is broad shoulders. Starrk was mesmerised, one hand drifting to the front of his trousers to smooth over his proud erection. He was just tracing the firm rod, trying to get some stimulation from what he was watching. Grimmjow had crossed his legs, bringing Ichigo into his lap with the long pale legs wrapped around him. Starrk could just make out the two members now firmly pressed against each other. Ichigo brought one of Grimmjow's hands to his mouth, taking two fingers inside and running his nimble tongue over them, breaking away to nip and lick at the digits as he looked wickedly into Grimmjow's eyes.

Starrk was now standing in full view, leaning against the archway with his left hand down inside his trousers, groping at himself over his boxers as he watched Ichigo guide the large hand down his back, pressing Grimmjow's middle finger inside himself. Ichigo held onto Grimmjow's wrist and lowered himself onto the finger, taking control of the speed to help the inexperienced man prepare him. He was soon taking the whole finger inside, fucking it and moaning lightly as he pressed the first finger in as well, almost immediately taking it as far as it could go. That drew a louder moan out of the younger man, bringing an unexpected one out of Starrk as he watched the fingers disappear into the hot cavern. Both men on the bed snapped their heads to him, taking in the hand in his trousers as well as the wanton look in his eyes.

"Spying are we?" Ichigo's voice was breathless as he fucked himself on the fingers. "That's a bit naughty. We should punish him don't you think Grimm?"

Grimmjow looked over at the older man, thinking of taking pity on the clearly horny man but deciding to be a bit evil to his other lover. "Definitely, he gets to watch, and not touch either of us no matter what. He can touch himself if he wants though." Grimmjow threw the last phrase in after a pause.

Starrk stripped off his trousers, leaving them in a heap as he pulled his shirt off, dropping it as well. He smirked at the looks from the other two at his body before slumping down on Ichigo's vanity chair in the corner, the cushions soft against his skin as he pulled his hard on out of his boxers, thumbing the end as he settled down to watch.

Ichigo grinned at him, grinding into the hand behind him before pulling the wrist away and turning both of them so they were side on to Starrk, giving him a full view. Ichigo pulled himself up, grabbing Grimmjow's dick before settling down on it, taking it faster than the other man was expecting, making Grimmjow squeeze his eyes shut and grip Ichigo's hips to hold him still, willing himself to calm down, just a little bit. Ichigo had dropped his head back, and gasping, whining as he was denied the movement he desperately needed. He turned his attention to the neck in front of him, licking and nipping at the skin as he tried to move again, this time the hands allowing a tiny bit of motion, but gradually they slackened off, and he was soon bouncing up and down on the long, thick cock, each downwards stroke hitting his prostate. His own member was flapping against Grimmjow's stomach and he ached to be touched.

"Please, touch me." He moved one of Grimmjow's hands to himself, the blue haired man catching on and pumping the neglected organ in time with his strokes, Ichigo's scream telling him he was doing something right.

He needed to move, needed to gain some control over the situation so he uncrossed his legs, wrapping his other arm around the noble's back as he got to his knees, pressing Ichigo gently to the bed. Taking over the motion, he buried his head into Ichigo's neck as he banged into the ass under him, the slap of skin hitting skin loud in the room. Grimmjow tilted his head to look over at Starrk; the brunette was circling the end of his dick with one finger as his other hand jerked himself off, his eyes riveted to the pair on the bed. The hand on the tip ran down the length and round the soft balls, rolling them in his hand. Starrk was looking right into the blue eyes as he took that finger into his mouth, wetting it thoroughly before tracing it behind his balls, sinking it deep inside himself. He kept stroking his member while fucking himself on his finger making Grimmjow have to break the gaze.

He sat up, pulling Ichigo's legs up so he pressed the top of his thighs against the younger man's chest allowing him to sit up more on his kneed so get a longer stroke. It also seemed to give him a better angle against the man's prostate and Ichigo cried out, trembling. Grimmjow gripped the bouncing cock of the man under him and thumbed the wet tip, stroking it firmly to help the man get to his release, the trembling in his body telling him it was time.

Ichigo went still for a moment before he spasmed in Grimmjow's embrace, the viscous white fluid flowing out of him strong enough to hit Grimmjow and the splatter on the bed covers at the side of them. Grimmjow held the legs, stroking deeply trying to get himself over as well as he watched Ichigo sleepily look back at him, a small smile on his face.

Grimmjow spread the long legs under him and leaned over the toned body, still pistoning in and out but unable to find his release even with the tightness of the walls around him from the other man's orgasm. He growled in frustration, speeding up slightly trying to not impact to hard.

"You want to fuck him harder? Is that what you need?"

Grimmjow closed his eyes, embarrassed that he couldn't do this. Starrk had walked over and cupped his face between his hands.

"Hey don't be embarrassed, we all get off on different things, and you are really wound up."

Grimmjow exhaled violently, pulling out of Ichigo gently as he realised he wasn't getting anywhere. He looked to the side, his erection still standing out between his legs. He glanced at Ichigo, looking humiliated and worried that the younger man would be offended.

"I know what would help," The two men looked down at the sleepy noble, who just smiled back at them. "You need to go and bend Starrk over, take him from behind and fuck him for all he's worth. Another time we'll get you going, all it takes is practice."

Starrk looked at Ichigo before glancing at the other, leaning down on his forearms on the bed, his ass on display. Grimmjow looked between them, seeing the acceptance in both their eyes before Ichigo made himself more comfortable to watch, pulled up against the pillows.

Grimmjow stumbled off the bed, rounding on the toned globes waiting for him. He ran his finger along Starrk's seam, past the little entrance and watched it twitch under him.

"I'm all ready for you, and I've been waiting for a long time."

Grimmjow lined himself up and slid home, feeling the press of the hot skin on his groin as he took it to the hilt. The first couple of strokes were gently, but he sped up, the impact sounding more like a thump than a slap as he pounded into the tight hole. He gasped, digging his fingers into the skin of the narrow hips. Starrk was moaning continuously, the thick cock being different to others he'd experienced recently, and the fact that his own was trapped against the bed, getting rubbed each time the strong man behind him thrust forwards.

Even though Grimmjow was pistoning a lot harder than he'd done with Ichigo, Starrk still demanded more, wanting to be fully destroyed by the other man. He didn't think he'd get to experience this, let alone that day and Ichigo watching was just an added bonus. He felt the first impact to his prostate, the force taking his breath away before he could scream and the next was even harder, leaving him unable to catch his breath for a moment. He sat up, gasping as Grimmjow took the opportunity to grab his dick, squeezing it firmly in time, making him erupt quickly. Grimmjow wrapped his arm around Starrk's torso, pulling one of his legs up so his thigh was pressed along his chest to give him a grip as he used his upper body strength to crash the body in his arms onto his groin, taking him harder than he'd ever been taken before. Starrk leaned his head back onto Grimmjow's shoulder, allowing the other to use his body to find release, taking pleasure in the brutality of it immensely. Grimmjow leaned his forehead on Starrk's shoulder as he felt his release building, the force lifting his head before he sank his teeth into the meat where the man's neck met his body, whining as he filled the other men. Grimmjow's legs went out under him and he sank to the carpet, leaning them both against the bed, Grimmjow's head against the sweat covered back in front of him.

Grimmjow was distraught as he tried to get his breathing under control. He'd lost himself in the other man, taking his own pleasure when he couldn't find release in the softer pressures of the other lover. He wondered if he was too much an animal to make love to someone.

Ichigo was behind him a moment later, pressing light kisses along his shoulder, turning his head towards him. Grimmjow's face was desperate, making Ichigo concerned at the other's mood.

"That was so hot; I just wish it could be me."

Grimmjow broke away, his worst thoughts coming true.

Ichigo rolled his eyes, knowing the other was nearly as bad as himself when it came to the blame game. "What I mean was that I like it rough, and I know I can't take it. You are still learning how your body works and I have full confidence that with enough investigation we will find your preferred way. And along the way I'm sure Starrk will help out if you need it, isn't that right?"

Starrk just put one hand out, thumb pointing to the sky.

Grimmjow just grinned, stroking the handsome face in front of him. "I love you."

Ichigo smiled back. "I love you too."

Both men sniggered and rolled their eyes at the lough throat clearing in front of them.

"Perhaps we could wait a bit and try again? Maybe you could take me from behind this time?" Ichigo smiled saucily at him, Grimmjow's eyes lighting up.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

When Starrk limped into the kitchen for dinner, Nnoitra burst out laughing, earning a glare from the brunette. Grimmjow came in just after him looking sheepish after getting a tongue lashing, not the good kind, from Starrk as they cleaned up. The brunette hadn't really been complaining about their vigorous session, he'd eventually got pissed off with Grimmjow's apologies every time Starrk winced a bit. He said he was perfectly fine with it and the other man just had to shut up about it.

"Hey Grimm, remember what I told you in the gym?" Nnoitra was trying to keep his face straight, he really was.

Grimmjow frowned for a second, remembering the workout and his muscles burning. He was managing to do much more not that he was training regularly but the suggestion Nnoitra had made about taking care of sore muscles came back to him making him grin back at the black-haired man before turning back to Starrk, eyes a bit heated.

Starrk worked out the jist of what had been said. "Oh, hell no."

Ichigo came wandering in a while later after having to make a couple of phone calls about the following day's meeting and he perched on a seat, just watching his friends interact. Szayel served up a big bowl of pasta, chunks of spicy Italian sausage in the sauce as well as a basket of breads in the middle of the table as Zommari placed bowls at each setting. Grimmjow had grabbed the bottles of juice as well as the jug of water from the fridge and placed them on the table, with Starrk setting tinted glass tumblers for each person. It was all very domestic, Tia tucking Nel's chair under the table next to Ichigo's, the noble smiling down at her as she lifted her plastic cutlery, getting ready to eat. Starrk sat at Ichigo's other side, Grimmjow next to him and Nnoitra on his right. Barrigan came in last, taking his seat round by Zommari, leaving Szayel's seat to be filled once the man sat down.

Ichigo kept quiet during the meal, finally feeling like his life was returning to normal, even his wrist had stopped twinging when he used it. Starrk took one of the big serving spoons and heaped a mound onto Ichigo's plate, raising an eyebrow as if daring him to argue before giving himself even more on his own. The basket of break was getting passed from person to person, Tia holding it out of Nel's reach as she selected one for each of them, placing the girl's on her side plate and telling her it wasn't to be finished before the pasta before handing it to Ichigo. Ichigo chose a large slice smothered in cheese and dipped it into the tomato sauce before taking a bite, placing his napkin onto his lap automatically.

There didn't even have to be an argument that night over Ichigo's eating habits, the man nearly finishing the plateful and having two big lumps of cheesy garlic bread before sitting back to sip on his drink, the lemonade bubbles fizzing in his nose. Nnoitra and Grimmjow were speaking quietly together, with Starrk sending them worrying glares every so often as he chatted to Tia across the table. Every now and then Nel would announce something to make everyone laugh but the child mostly kept her mouth on her food, putting away much more than her biological father. Tia claimed she had hollow legs, since there was no way such a small person could fit all that into her stomach.

The child was cleaned roughly at the table before Tia took her to get ready for her bath, leaving the men still seated.

"Ichigo, Gin came today, wanting to speak to us, he told us what was going on in the trial, but something else came out you need to know about."

Zommari and Barrigan made their excuses, deciding to leave the closer men together. Starrk stopped them, telling them it involved them as well.

"He knows," blank looks around the room watched him; the ones in the know keeping their emotions off their faces. "He knows about us, not sure how or even how much but he's seen through the lie."

Ichigo's face drained of colour, and everything he'd just eaten was threatening to make a reappearance. He'd never been that close to Gin, the other having a bit of a threatening personality at the time but it had been his friendship with Aizen that had really kept Ichigo away from him, not wanting anything to do with the two faced brunette after several clashes in their youth. Since the attack, the Count had been there for him and Ichigo knew he'd given evidence in to support the younger man but his reasoning was still unknown. If he knew about the others, about his home life it could destroy everything.

The young noble clasped his hands in front of him, staring down at them as he tried to figure a way out of the mess. If they had to disappear they would have to split up, no way could he get a group this size out without detection. He could send them away in pairs, or small groups to start again away from the feudal region. They would adjust and they would have each other. Once Ichigo's uncle found out about it though they were all in serious trouble so he'd have to act quickly. He needed to phone Kisuke, he would help him get his family away.

"Oi, kid you're not listening."

The slur on his age made Ichigo snap his head up, glaring at Nnoitra. "Well excuse me for trying to get us out of this."

"Yeah but you mean to get us out of the country, don't think we don't know your contingency plans. Listen to the rest of the God damn story will you." Nnoitra nodded to Starrk to continue, the brunette fighting a grin.

"Well, since you are now listening, you'll know that it's not actually the end of the world because Ichimaru actually wants what we have, he's in love with a slave and needs our help. Well that's the end of the story really. The long version is that he fell in love with a slave at his parents but Aizen asked to buy her once she'd grown up and was no longer needed as a companion to his mother. That's also the only reason he was ever friends with Aizen, to get a chance to see her. He's trying to get her back and hoped you'd let him buy her off you if you are awarded his estate."

"He wouldn't have to buy her, that's ridiculous if she wanted him, she would be his."

"That's what I told him, he's on our side Ichi."

The noble fell quiet again, contemplating the information. Scrubbing his hand over his face he looked up at the other's in the room, trying to gauge their reactions to the situation. "So panic paused, but not abandoned for the moment then. Until I'm sure of the truth of this I'm not going to completely relax but for the moment I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. Right good. Starrk, all sorted for tomorrow?"

The boss of the help nodded, pulling his ever present folder off the floor and unzipping it, flicking the diary open. "Yep, you've got an appointment with your specialist to go over your latest results at 11am, possibly starting a new treatment for your anaemia, then you and the department heads are meeting after lunch to discuss the budget, I know the cardiologists are looking for some money to replace some equipment but they did get a grant from the charitable fund last year so my advice would be to see what the other bids are. Immunology have been getting ignored for a while as a side note."

Ichigo smiled, glad of his first's diligence. He could look this information up, and didn't actually need to know it but it was useful and that is why Starrk remembered it and took notes on it. He probably went over the last few sets of minutes to get his information a few days ago. "Good, I'll keep that in mind. Have you organised who's coming?"

"I thought possibly Nnoitra could take you in the Mercedes, Zommari said the town car needed new tires and we'll need it for court on Thursday. I'll be there as well but I think that's it."

Ichigo nodded, staring meaninglessly at Grimmjow for a moment. "How about lunch in the park?"

Starrk frowned at him, unsure of what he meant.

"Well, it's been a while since I've spent any real time outdoors and the hospital looks over the palace grounds, we could grab some sandwiches and sit out."

"Possibly Grimmjow and the others could come and meet us too?" Starrk knew where his lover's mind was, he didn't want to be away from either man just now, and the large shady park surrounding the Liege Lord's palace would give them plenty of space to be normal away from the view of others.

Ichigo grinned at brunette, happy that he wouldn't be working all day. He liked that the other knew him so well he only had to hint at what he was thinking about.

_iiiiiiii_

Dressed to impress as always, Ichigo huffed quietly as he sat in the back of the luxury car. Even the plush leather interior, chrome details and tinted windows didn't take away the feeling that you were getting a lift to school from your dad. It was one of the reasons Ichigo preferred to take the town car, it felt more like a carriage. He wasn't allowed to drive long distances himself, his ailment making him dizzy at random times so he was stuck in the backseat whenever they had to go anywhere. Starrk was at least sat next to him, his left hand holding the ever present binder on his lap as he leaned on his right hand on the door card. Ichigo reached out his right hand and laced his fingers in the older man's, the brunette turning to him as he touched his hand. Starrk smiled at him, holding his hand better as his other grabbed the folder from falling.

"You alright?"

Ichigo nodded, bringing their clasped hands to his lips to brush a delicate kiss over Starrk's knuckles. "Just appreciating what I've got, and how lucky I am."

Starrk leaned his head back, a light blush dusting his face as he looked into the warm brown eyes. Ichigo turned his body and brought his knees up so he was facing the other man, his left hand coming in to trace patterns on the back of Starrk's. The journey ended quickly, the two men breaking the grasp with some regret as Nnoitra opened Ichigo's door; Starrk more than capable of getting his own and none of them liked scooting over seats. Ichigo fastened his suit button, the silvery grey fabric shimmering mildly in the sun light and his white shirt gleaming brightly. He had gone tie-less today, knowing he'd be sitting in a stuffy meeting room later with "normal" people and no one would probably notice after Ichigo had basically grown up in the building, learning under Retsu since he was sixteen. Starrk did have a grey tie in his folder, just in case.

They made their way up to Ichigo's specialist, the man having treated Ichigo since he went into Kisuke's care, and were admitted to the room on the first knock. Jushiro Ukitake was a man in his forties with long white hair, his face still youthful looking despite the colour of his hair and he always had a warm smile for Ichigo.

"Good morning Ichigo, I'm glad to see you looking happier than last time, despite what has happened since then. How have you been feeling?"

Ichigo shrugged, feeling fourteen again. "Same as always, still get dizzy if I stand up too quickly and still bruising at a hard look."

The doctor laughed quietly, shaking his head at the familiar response. "Any new triggers or different reactions to old ones?" Ichigo just shook his head, sitting in the chair with his hands clasped between his open thighs. "Right then, we got your test results back from the last sample and they confirm nothing new has developed but I'd like to trial you on a new treatment that might prevent your dizzy spells." Ichigo straightened at that, they were the reason he didn't actively work in the hospital anymore, no one wanting a doctor who could become a patient that easily. "Unfortunately it's one of those drugs that could make it worse instead of better and we're not going to know until we try it. No driving, and don't go  _anywhere_ alone alright? You can get in touch with me if anything major changes alright, don't just tough it out."

Starrk smirked as the doctor laid out exactly the type of things Ichigo did, all the things that not only annoyed the hell out of the brunette, have got him in trouble at times.

"It's an injection, twice a day into the meaty parts, your choice of course. And yes it will bruise, on you it will be beautiful so I recommend picking somewhere no one sees. I've got some ready for today, and there is a prescription for a month's worth already waiting for you, I knew you wouldn't pass on getting back to work or driving. Right where do you want it?" The doctor squeezed a blob of sanitizer on his hand before rubbing them both together and lifting a fairly small needle out of a plastic kidney dish. Ichigo pulled off his jacket, handing it to Starrk before he stood, unbuttoning his shirt and pulling it out of his trousers. His lightly defined torso was on display and he held his shirt out of the way so Jushiro could administer the drug.

The older man frowned as he came closer. "I did say the meaty parts Ichigo, and I don't think this qualifies any more. Have you just stopped eating all together or did you get rid of your kitchen help?"

Starrk had to turn away, unable to keep the wide smile off his face. The doctor was right, there wasn't a bit of soft flesh on Ichigo's abdomen, the ridged bumps that formed his stomach clear to anyone looking at him. He heard the noble swear under his breath before he loosened his trousers, turning to lean his arms on the examination bed just behind their seats. Starrk turned back to see Jushiro pulling Ichigo's boxers down a bit so he could stab the thin needle right into Ichigo's pert backside. Ichigo didn't even wince, even though it did sting a bit, used to being stabbed in strange places by needles since he was a child. He did wish he hadn't had to lower his trousers and reveal the slight bruising he had from his session with Grimmjow the night before, as gentle as the man had been, it had still left marks.

He straightened and started to dress himself again, tucking his buttoned shirt back in before fastening his trousers. He accepted his jacket back and slung it on, leaving the buttons undone so he could sit comfortably. Jushiro disposed of the needle in the yellow sharps box before getting another blob of gel and rubbing it into his hands as he sat back down. He smiled over at the younger man who fidgeted in his seat as the sting intensified with the friction from his trousers.

"It'll calm down in a little bit, don't scratch at it though. Do you think you can take that twice a day? It's not the most pleasant sensation by all accounts."

"I can take it; it's not that bad really. I've had worse."

"Can I ask about your eating habits? You've lost weight since I saw you last and I know you have been through an ordeal but you have to take care of yourself. Do you eat at every meal time?"

Ichigo had the good grace to at least blush at that question, knowing the truth was far from positive. "I try to eat something. Sometimes under duress if I'm honest but I have something every day."

"Starrk, honestly, how much is your master eating?"

Starrk felt the glare getting sent his way. "If you discount the odd chunk of cheese, he doesn't have much sir. He did eat dinner last night however."

Jushiro sighed, knowing his patient well for his eating habits. "Cheese is good, lots of fats and calories but you need more than a bit of protein and dairy to keep you going. I will refer you to a dietary expert if you don't start taking better care of yourself. I want to weigh you today, and in four months to monitor you weight. Take off your jacket and shoes and we'll get an approximate."

Ichigo did as he was told, noble or not he didn't ignore his doctor. He jumped onto the scale, the digital machine flicking through the numbers as it settled.

"57.6 kilograms, that's about 127 pounds, just over nine stone; you are officially underweight. Gain another seven kilos before I see you gain or you are getting referred, clear?"

Ichigo grumbled but he agreed, knowing better than to argue with the older man. He slung his feet into his tan shoes, lifting his foot to put it on the seat edge to tie his lace when his foot missed and he tumbled to the floor, his back impacting with the scale and his head clunking against the leg of the bed. "Ow."

Jushiro and Starrk leaped down to help him, pulling him up before helping him to the seat again. "Can I mention that not eating can result in dizziness and loss of balance as much as your condition can?" The white haired man was picking through the orange spikes to check for any damage as he spoke, not finding anything but a red mark, darkening to a bruise as he watched; thankfully it was unnoticeable under his vibrant hair. Starrk was kneeling on the floor, tying his master's shoes and was there to make sure he remained upright when he stood, helping him into his jacket before they left. Ichigo held out his hand and the other doctor shook it, clasping his one between both of his in affection. "Take care of yourself; you are too valuable to go bashing all sense out of yourself when you fall."

Ichigo just grinned shyly, his cheeks glowing pink as the two men made their way out of the office and into the main hospital. They took the lift to the ground floor before leaving the glossy building, heading across the street and walking along the pavements towards the palace grounds. Ichigo was fairly relaxed, his hands in his pockets as he conversed lightly with Starrk, not talking about anything important but relaxing the usual master/slave public performance because of their surroundings. The area around the hospital was mainly build up with shops and houses taking up the surrounding streets. It was a far cry to their own area, with the sprawling estates of the nobility or the lines of large town houses for those without land. Here, the people would know who Lord Kurosaki was by name, but not pick him out as a young man in a suit, walking with a similarly dressed man in a normal day at lunch time. They could be colleagues from the hospital, out to grab a bite in the fresh air.

Nnoitra was waiting for them outside the deli that Ichigo liked, two bags in his hand and smirking as they approached; joining them as they continued on. He briefly asked how the appointment went, which made Ichigo blush again and Starrk make a sarcastic comment about how he hoped Nnoitra got full fat mayo on Ichigo's sub.

They arrived at the palace grounds, the actual building not in sight from this side and they walked through the high gates, past the signs for no barbeques or commercial business in the park, heading for a familiar spot, easily picked out when the large dark grey puppy came into sight, leaping for the yellow disc in the air. After narrowly avoiding tripping over his overly large paws, the dog trotted back to his owner, Grimmjow calling his name with a large smile on his face as he watched his pet perform. Starrk gave off a sharp whistle through his teeth, the pup instantly recognising it and turning, disc dropping to the ground as he sat in place, waiting for the command to move again. Grimmjow recognised the whistle as well and looked over at them, a wide smile on his face. Szayel was on a large blanket unfolded on the grass, watching the dog play before smiling at the new arrivals as well.

"Just us?" Ichigo asked as he approached the blanket, Grimmjow meeting them there with the pup after giving him the command to move.

The pink haired man nodded, pulling a large cooler over, and opening it to start laying out the plastic plates and cans of juice. "Yeah, no one else wanted to come and play. Yammy has lessons with Barrigan today and Zommari was taking care of the town car."

Ichigo smiled, taking his plate with a small thanks as he sat down. Yammy had come to them illiterate and very unrefined but Ichigo had saw the sweetness close to his bones and taken him in, putting up with the man's poor manners as he helped him fit in. Yammy had taken a liking to wood carving, spending time in Ichigo's shed working with his hands. The large appendages were deft when it came to a chisel on wood and he had made several small wooden toys for Nel as well as a chess board, something he was learning to play with the oldest slave. Barrigan had infinite patience and had taught the other man to read, Ichigo helping as well, and they had moved on to other life skills such as basic maths, with Ichigo taking him out for hands on lessons. Ichigo was actually planning on having Grimmjow teach him some more skills with wood, having heard about the blue haired man's abilities and him having more time on his hands. Ichigo didn't really get out and actually do work anymore, except the occasional bit of DIY when necessary. He found it epically amusing that in his household of strong and testosterone filled men, none of them could be trusted with a chisel or a spanner. Grimmjow was a blessing in disguise, having fixed not only the puppy house, but a couple of window sashes and a blocked sink.

Ichigo accepted his teriyaki chicken melt, the cheese now solid but it had been melted over the meat before getting loaded up with red onion and bit of mayo. It was a double length, twelve inches of sandwich where he'd normally get a half but he knew there was no point in arguing after his appointment and didn't really want Starrk smugly spreading his doctor's orders.

He managed the first half fine, but gave up after a few bites of the second half, feeling a bit lightheaded, even his soda was tasting a bit off to him and he asked for a bottle of water to rinse his mouth out. He leaned back on his arms and dropped his head back, feeling the sun on his skin, probably drawing out the light dusting of freckles that were usually too pale to notice.

The others scoffed their double lengths, Grimmjow and Starrk going to play piggy in the middle with Diesel, the pup wuffing at them as he ran back and forth with pure puppy enthusiasm. Nnoitra was called into the game and it became a three-way until Szayel made it four. Ichigo was called on as well but he just shook his head, not wanting to mark his suit and not really feeling up to it either. He lay down on his back, his ankles crossed as he closed his eyes to rest them for a moment. The sun was still beating down on him, warming his body but something blocked it from his face after a moment, and he opened his eyes, squinting to see which one of his men was standing over him.

The figure was silhouetted by the sun, features blacked out until Ichigo sat up, twisting his torso to see who it was. He was on his feet in a heartbeat, backing away from the man standing by his picnic blanket. He realised too late he was heading the wrong way, making the distance between him and his friends bigger.

"Afternoon Ichigo, what a coincidence to see you here. Maybe we could talk about what happened."

"There is nothing to talk about, and I want you to leave." Ichigo looked over the other man's shoulder, trying to catch the eye of one of the men playing.

"Surely you can accept my apology in private and we can move on from this. We could talk about it later perhaps if you want to come over."

"I will never set foot in your house again Aizen, and I don't even want you to take another step towards me let alone see you in private." Ichigo took a step back, trying to keep a minimum distance from the man.

"I had hoped we could work something out, I can't have you discrediting me even if you don't win. I need you to withdraw your accusation or I need you to disappear."

Ichigo realised he'd been backed under the shade of a drooping tree, their forms now shadowed by the long branches. Aizen tucked his hand into his jacket, pulling clear a small, black gun, holding it by his side.

"You see my dear Ichigo, I want you, more now that I've tasted you but if you won't cooperate perhaps a different method might work. In a gentler man I would threaten your slaves, but I think even the dog has more compassion from you. How about your little niece, she looks so much like you after all, even her scowl is the same; how proud you must be. How about you withdraw your claim, and promise not to hurt her."

"How about you get the fuck out of my face so I can phone the police. You come at me and threaten my family? Did you not think I would take precautions after you raped me? Everything you've said is now traced, and sent to a different phone. It's really amazing what you can download onto these smart phones."

Ichigo watched Aizen clench his hand around the gun, brown eyes widening as he realised he'd unhinged the bastard.

The gun was levelled at Ichigo's chest, trembling slightly in the other man's grasp. "You think you are so smart, I will show you that you are mistaken."

Ichigo let out a shrill whistle, before throwing himself down, the explosion from the gun deafening him at first. The whistle had done its job however, the large blue Great Dane recognising the crisis tone and speeding over. Starrk had trained it into all his dogs, Nnoitra being the unfortunate 'attacker' during training.

The men playing with the dog had snapped round at the whistle, seeing their master missing from the rug and following the pup with their eyes for a second before spotting his target, two figures under the tree. As one they descended after the dog, Diesel arriving before any of them and leaping for the stranger, his large mouth round the man's extended arm. A second shot rang out before the men arrived and all of their faces were bleak as they saw it had hit its target.

Ichigo was lying on the ground, a small pool of blood under his arm as he clutched at it. His eyes had filled with tears as he watched the over grown pup fall to the ground, a high pitched whine leaving the dog's throat.

Grimmjow got his hand around Aizen first, throwing the noble to the ground and getting himself between Ichigo and his attacker. Grimmjow's battle instincts came to play, instantly assessing his opponent, forgetting for a moment there were three others on his side, his mind only for destroying the one who'd hurt his lover, and his dog. Aizen went to raise the gun but Grimmjow brought both fists down on his shoulder, numbing the limb and causing him to drop it. He followed the hit with a punch to the side of the man's head, stunning him to the ground.

They quickly learned Aizen had not gone out alone, three others coming to help him, Nnoitra taking on two of them with glee as Starrk and Szayel stood with Grimmjow against the third and the master. It was an ugly fight, no one gaining an upper hand really until Nnoitra snapped one man's collar bone, making him howl, giving Starrk the opportunity to KO the save he was facing as the man turned to see his friend writhing on the floor.

Aizen had taken the opportunity to grab up his gun in the confusion, Grimmjow just being out of reach to stop him and he had to watch as the gun was once again, pointed at his lover. In the millisecond he had before his muscles responded, he glanced at Starrk, seeing the horror in the brunette's grey eyes they made their decision, Grimmjow ending up in front of Ichigo and Starrk having his strong hands wrapped around Aizen's neck, just like he'd always wanted.

The third shot had gone out though before Aizen dropped the gun to grab at the hands around his neck, his breath stopping. Starrk couldn't relax even for a heartbeat as he struggled to contain the man, hoping his friends could handle the rest. He heard one voice pipe up from behind him, the voice clearly under stress.

"You can't kill him, he'd a noble!"

It was an unknown voice to the brunette so he knew it was one of Aizen's lackeys. "You don't understand, he attacked my master. This is actually part of my job."

He didn't kill him, even if he wanted to, just held on till the struggling stopped before dropping him, probably with a crushed windpipe but alive. He turned to see that time had not in fact stopped, and there was a serious emergency. Grimmjow was on his side, his bright blue eyes closed as Ichigo and Szayel pressed against his back, panic on both of their faces. Ichigo's history in the emergency department helped him keep his head and with Szayel's help he had deemed Grimmjow severely injured, but with the hospital so close, he knew he'd be alright, taking the shot high on his chest so it went through his shoulder, missing the blade bone. It was messy but not fatal. Ichigo was ignoring his own wound in favour of treating his lover but he could tell his was minor from the amount of blood he'd lost.

An ambulance arrived, the paramedics taking over for Ichigo and Szayel but before another one could get to Ichigo he ran over to the puppy, stroking a hand over his head. Nnoitra had been sitting with him, not knowing what to do except hold his jacket against the wound in his leg like you would a person.

"Is he going to be alright?" Nnoitra asked as Ichigo lifted the jacket to see the wound. It was through the meat of the leg, only the one thankfully but was bleeding badly.

"Both of them will be alright if I have anything to do with it." Ichigo pushed his arms under the dog, lifting it by the chest. He whined at the motion, leaning his big head against Ichigo's shoulder who shushed him, stroking the fur under his arms.

Nnoitra went to take the god off his injured master but Ichigo ignored him, walking over to the second ambulance, laying the dog out on the gurney. The paramedic squawked, saying it was waiting for him, but Ichigo just shoved the man out of the way, going through the first aid drawers inside the ambulance until he found the kit he needed to stall the bleeding until he could get the dog into surgery. He knew he couldn't do it himself with his arm still bleeding but he was getting the ambulance to drive Diesel to the animal hospital if he had to call on every inch of his noble blood, happy to name drop to get his own way; it was after all his dog as far as they were concerned.

The paramedics hadn't been happy, but they had left with the dog, the first ambulance jetting away as soon as it had got Grimmjow inside and left Ichigo with his three slaves in the company of the police and the attackers, all of whom were currently sporting handcuffs.

Ichigo felt himself start to tremble, now that the pressure had left him, his lover and dog in someone else's hands, his body started to rebel. Nnoitra stepped to his shoulder, Starrk on the other side holding his elbow as their master paled, his nose bleeding slightly. Starrk and Nnoitra got him over to the picnic blanket, sitting him and pressing his head between his legs to try and calm him. Tears were pouring down his face but they were now surrounded by too many people to allow either slave to comfort their master.

A tall grey haired man with a moustache approached them, his jacket clearly displaying his rank of police commissioner. "Lord Kurosaki, are you well? Your uncle is heading to the hospital to meet you; we were led to believe you were injured in the attack."

"I was Commissioner Sasakibe. I just haven't made it there yet."

"You are not looking well my Lord; can I get you a car? One of my officers can drive you and return in moments. I think you need medical attention."

Ichigo was helped up, his knees going as soon as he stood and Starrk caught him, slinging him up bridal style as he followed the police officer to the car. Ichigo was unconscious but breathing steadily meaning it was just a temporary out, the blood flow to his brain too fine to keep up with the stress. He sat in the back, cradling the younger man, making it seem like he was indifferent but he was gripping the noble's shirt in his fist, tension in every muscle, even if it didn't show through his rumpled, ruined suit.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

A busy hospital was everyone's worst nightmare, doctors and nurses too busy to tend to loved ones. That wasn't the case when Starrk got out of the police car with Ichigo, the young noble being whisked out of his arms as soon as he'd cleared the doors. Nnoitra was right behind him, putting a hand on his elbow as his legs wobbled, the shock of the last hour's stress flooding his system. Nnoitra pulled him to the side for a moment, trying to get a minute of peace for them both.

"He took him, we were right there, and he took him and shot him." Starrk's voice was breathy, and he clutched at the taller man for a moment.

"And we took him back. He's going to be fine."

"But Grimmjow, he's worse off; he threw himself in the path of a bullet."

"So did you, you were closer to the gun as well, it could have been you and it wouldn't have been a glancing blow to the top of the chest, it would have gone right through your chest. Stop this, there is only two of us, Szayel is calling the vet to check on the dog, he'll be here soon. But for now it's just us. I'm going to go and check in Grimmjow, you need to go and be with Ichigo, don't leave him alone. I'll come and find you once I hear about big Blue ok?" He held Starrk's shoulders, making sure the older man listened to him. They broke off, Starrk heading for the private area of the emergency room, the noble having been taken in due to his status. Nnoitra knew Grimmjow would have been taken to the normal ER by the paramedics and he headed that way, rubbing at his aching knuckles. He realised he hadn't escaped the fight unscathed, his body starting to ache as the adrenalin leaking from him as he walked; he'd need something to eat or a sugary drink soon if he didn't want to end up pale and trembling like Starrk. He made a mental note to grab something for the other man to replenish his blood sugar before he went back.

The receptionist was helpful until she found out he was just a slave, that was until Jushiro Ukitake came up to him personally, shaking his hand and clapping the taller man in the shoulder. Nnoitra caught the little woman staring wide eyed as one of the most respected consultants in the hospital acted all chummy towards a mere slave. The white haired man turned to her desk, reaching for the rack of files, extracting the one with the name of the blue haired man and flipped through it quickly.

Nnoitra thanked the doctor before the two of them headed towards the private area, Jushiro having only been in the ER to consult with a patient and now had to go and see his ex-student and current patient. Nnoitra liked the white haired man, him not caring on one's birth status and always treating the slaves with respect. There was no point in Nnoitra waiting in the normal ER since they had found out Grimmjow had been taken into surgery to repair the damage the bullet had left, Jushiro talking him through what the doctors had done when he arrived.

Nnoitra had to show ID to get admittance into the private area, though Jushiro was instantly recognised. It took the older man a second glancing at the board behind the nurse's station before he headed straight to a door at the end of the corridor, pushing it open.

The door was quiet but there was a scrapping sound in the room as they entered, seeing Starrk standing about a foot from the side of Ichigo's bed, a seat at an angle to the bed. The rest of the room was opulent to say the least, curtains held back by tasselled tie backs and large screen against the wall next to them. A door was just on the side of the TV stand, most likely to the private toilet the noble would have and there was ample cupboard storage with a bedside cabinet as well as wardrobe. For a temporary 'Emergency' room, it seemed like a waste of space and money.

Ichigo was lying, propped up a bit with the bed and a mound of pillow, eyes still closed and a line under his nose to help get him purer oxygen to help him come round. There was still a smudge under his nose from the bleed he'd had in the car, his face still dirty from the ground he'd lay on during the fight. His previously pristine white shirt showed traces of all the trouble he'd had today, dust, dirt and blood ruining its finish. Starrk wasn't in any better condition, his grey jacket and darker shirt having a large dark patch, the colour leeched out but Nnoitra knew it was blood, covering the left side from where Ichigo's injured arm had been pressed. There were spatters of blood over the rest of his clothes, both from Ichigo as well as the men Starrk had beaten, Nnoitra being in a similar condition. Ichigo's shirt had the left arm removed, the shoulder sitting a bit ragged and a clean white bandage wrapped around his bicep, a hint of red on the fabric.

Starrk looked at them as they arrived, relaxing slightly when he identified them. "How's Grimm?"

"In surgery, Doc Ukitake grabbed a look at his file before we came over. He's away to get stitched up but it seems to be alright. How's he?"

"Similar, but he doesn't need surgery, they are going to sew him back together in a minute, I thought that was the doctor back when you came in."

Jushiro excused himself for a moment, going to see Ichigo's doctor. The young noble's blood condition was a rare one, and anyone working with him needed to be aware of the possible effects of everything, especially sticking holes into him. He spoke to the younger doctor, assuring him he was more than happy to take over and treat the Lord, having been his doctor for years, and that no, it wasn't too much trouble. Jushiro smirked at the thought that he was considered too high up the food chain to stitch someone.

Re-entering the room, this time with a plastic apron on and a trolley or supplies, he gestured for the two men to relax and he set himself up to fix the noble's arm. He unwound the bandage, unsurprised by the mess on his arm, the blood just poured out of the boy. He had an IV set up to replenish his fluids but anymore blood loss and he'd have to get some back. The bullet had ripped his arm, just before the armpit and left a ragged tear in the skin, not two holes thankfully and should leave him only a line scar and no muscle damage.

He put in a local anaesthetic, in case the kid woke up, and got to work on the gash, his neat stitches lining up nicely. He felt some satisfaction that even though this wasn't exactly part of his day just now, he had made a good job, the scar should be minimal. A plastics surgeon would probably come to see the Lord in the next day anyway, most nobles not wanting any marks on their bodies.

The noble was still out when he finished and the older man stroked a hand down his face, slightly concerned with the pale skin but knowing it was inevitable with what had happened. He looked over to the pair on the couch by the window, sitting close together that  _could_  look innocent, but Jushiro was no fool. He was aware of Ichigo's relationship with his help, and he was glad he had that support structure at home. It was just cruel world that said people of different statuses were unable to love each other, no matter what their hearts said.

He said his goodbyes to the men, clearing up his mess before hearing out with the trolley, promising to send work of Grimmjow's progress once he'd heard anything.

Stopping by the nurse's station he put himself as Ichigo's direct doctor, meaning all decisions had to be put through him and asked one of the nurses to phone through to the ER to find out about the slave brought in. Since he wasn't out of surgery yet he had nothing to report so he left the three men in peace. As he had worked he had got a fuller picture of what had happened, finding out about the attack in the park from Nnoitra as they had walked. As he left the private area, the quiet of the usual bustling foyer made him frown, but the reason became evident quickly. Liege Lord Yamamoto was heading his way, the crowds parting like the Red Sea as he walked, his ever present cane in front of him. On his left wing was Ichigo's adoptive father, the usual jovial man with a face like thunder and on his right a tall grey haired man with a moustache dressed in a police uniform, the buttons on his epaulette saying his rank. Behind the nobles trotted three slaves, one standing out due to his bright pink hair and Jushiro vaguely recognised him as one of Ichigo's one that he'd only seen on a house call.

He decided there was no point in putting off this meeting and held the door open, dropping a small bow to the lord of the lands, not that he was a noble himself but he knew when to give respect. He invited the men into a private waiting room within the exclusive area, and the group made their way in.

Telling Lord Yamamoto his nephew was going to be alright was his first job, the old man's frown lessening fractionally. He had been informed about the attack by Szayel, the pink haired man taking responsibility of speaking to the police as the others took care of the family. Old Man Yama was not impressed by the story, demanding an explanation as to why Aizen was out in public with the trial in progress. He'd been informed that he'd been put under house arrest while the trial took a three day break and had left against his officers' orders.

So he'd just included breaking out to his charges of rape and now attempted murder. When Kisuke whipped out his phone and played the message he'd been sent by Ichigo's phone they had even more to heap on him, threatening a minor as well as pretty damning evidence to add to his rape trial.

Jushiro stepped out to find out how the soon to be convicted man was and he'd been delighted to inform them that it looked like the damage inflicted by Starrk was going to be permanent; they would be surprised if the man ever spoke above a whisper again. The nurse coming to tell them Ichigo was awake was more happy news and they took a pause in their discussion to visit the young man, Ichigo embracing his papa with tears in his eyes as he tried to come to terms with what had happened that day. Kisuke was watching Starrk as he held his son, seeing the pain in the other's eyes that it wasn't him sitting on the bed. Kisuke released him with a kiss to the crown and went back out with Yamamoto to finish their conversation, more to give Starrk time to be with Ichigo, away from prying eyes. Nnoitra left as well, standing outside the door and the tall man nodded to the noble, Kisuke seeing him standing with his hands behind his back to make sure his friends weren't disturbed for a moment of so.

The day passed quickly after that, news of Grimmjow coming in an hour later saying he was in recovery and would be fine and even the vet coming back with news that Diesel wouldn't even have a limp after he'd recovered.

Ichigo had smiled at all the news, and even though he'd wanted to go and see Grimmjow, he'd been ordered to remain in his bed till the next day, not only because of his injury and weakness, but the blue haired man was being kept unconscious until the next day to replenish his system. Ichigo had sent Nnoitra to see him, needing proof Grimm was alive and Nnoitra had returned with not only verbal proof, but a picture snapped on his phone that showed the man sleeping on the bed. It was too far for Ichigo to escape to see Grimmjow so until the next day he only had the picture to calm him, that and Starrk lying next to him. The stress of the day had taken it out of the brunette and he'd sat for a moment, leaning on Ichigo's pillows before he had closed his eyes. Nnoitra lifted him over to the couch before he left, not wanting any questions raised on the slave's behaviour, and he took Szayel home, after checking on the blue haired man, one more time.

_iiiiiiii_

Ichigo woke up, feeling the familiar pull in his arm saying he had a line in as he stretched. He spotted the brown hair draping over the side of the couch on the other side of his room telling him he'd not been left alone again. This was Ichigo's third morning in hospital, and his last he hoped. He was due to get the line out of his arm and home this afternoon, Grimmjow getting transferred home via ambulance to be cared for by himself and his staff. The one benefit of being a noble was that your wishes were done, especially when your loving uncle was in the room at the same time. Well, if your uncle was basically the king anyway.

Grimmjow had woken the next day in pain, but not unbearably. Ichigo had been down to see him each day, Starrk and Nnoitra working together to give them privacy leading to Ichigo curling up with him, lying his head on the other's chest, just to hear his heartbeat. At one point Ichigo had allowed himself to rant at the other, saying he should never have risked himself. Grimmjow had just held the younger man close, knowing he was only scared, and there was nothing needed said. One afternoon the three lovers had got to curl up together, just talking to each other, Starrk and Ichigo on both side of Grimmjow and his long arms wrapped around them both. Both slaves traded stories of their lives before Ichigo, picking mainly humorous stories to make the others laugh. Ichigo put in occasional stories of his life with Kisuke, and when he got to the part with Yoruichi offering to improve his sex education, Grimmjow complained that he'd pulled a couple of stiches laughing; Ichigo had actually checked, believing the other man as Starrk chuckled.

Ichigo got himself dressed after a quick wash, dreaming of the bath he was going to sink into when he got home, and was tucking his shirt in when Starrk finally woke up, snorting as he sat up. He saw his lover nearly fully dressed and smiled, rubbing at his eyes with one hand as he yawned and said good morning.

They headed out soon after that, an orderly carrying Ichigo's belongings and they waited for Zommari to pull the car round, Starrk already having spoken to the man when he arrived. Nnoitra was waiting to go with Grimmjow after coming in the town car, and the two men would be going home in the ambulance, Grimmjow still technically under medical observation after his surgery. It was only Ichigo's status in the hospital that allowed him to take Grimm home, his training giving him the knowledge to care for the man properly.

Ichigo slid into his town car with a sign, Starrk joining him on the back seat a second later, the leather folder on his lap as always. Both men were in their suits, neither wanting to allow their reputations to slip. Ichigo immediately grabbed Starrk's tie, pulling the man in for a hard kiss, even before he got his seat belt fastened. Zommari just put up the privacy screen, not wanting to pry on the lovers; he just drove slowly.

Starrk thrust his hands into Ichigo's hair, holding the man close as he ran his tongue along Ichigo's lips, begging for entrance. They opened, sucking the wet muscle in and teasing it with the man's own. Ichigo whimpered into the kiss, breaking it and just holding Starrk close. The brunette moved to the middle seat, snapping that seat belt on before running his hands all over the noble, drifting to the man's crotch more often. He could tell Ichigo was eager, and he wanted to help him release some stress. One of the conversation topics they'd had with Grimmjow was their future, all three happy with their lovers, and no one having an issue with two having fun themselves, as long as it wasn't excluding the other for a reason. This situation counted in that so Starrk loosened Ichigo's waistband, sinking his hand into the boxers and grasping the firm rod, fisting it tightly as he dared. Ichigo grasped his wrist, writhing under his ministrations as he suckled on the other's throat and jaw. Ichigo cried out, stilling for a second as he came, Starrk hiding his smug grin in his neck before delicately removing his hand. He held it up before licking the liquid off it, enjoying his lover's flavour as the young man blushed at his actions.

They arrived home, Szayel waiting at the door as they got out the car. Yammy was there to help with the belongings, giving Ichigo a one armed hug before he disappeared upstairs. Ichigo went to follow him, wanting to get changed now he'd made a mess in his trousers but Szayel stopped him saying his uncle and Papa were waiting for him. Ichigo traded looks with Starrk, the other having the decency to blush himself before they headed into the drawing room, Ichigo checking himself over before he entered.

The two men inside stood as he entered, both giving him a greeting. Ichigo took a seat facing them both, grimacing slightly at the feeling inside his pants but hiding it. He looked between the two men, seeing both of them glance up at Starrk a couple of times.

"Uncle, Papa, do you want me to ask Starrk to leave? What's going on?"

Kisuke smiled, shaking his head. "No, it's alright, Starrk come and take a seat. This involves you so you might as well hear it first-hand."

The brunette's eyes widened, wondering if this was his punishment for attacking a noble. He'd been expecting it but didn't think it would involve the Liege Lord.

The old man cleared his throat, giving his nephew a strange look. "You have men who are truly dedicated to you. Their bravery is the only reason you are sitting across from me now and it seems only right that they are rewarded." The man turned to Starrk, wanting to see his reactions.

"My reward is the safety and well-being of my lord."

"An appropriate statement from a slave, something you are going to have to work on. I have had these instructions notarised and they are now official. As Liege Lord, I am within my rights to reward those subjects who have shown exemplary service, or have done something exceptional, and there are two men of this household who fit both those statements, one of whom I know is still recovering. As such I have granted both men the status of free men, both getting a portion of the seized Aizen estate to set them up in the world to be whatever they wish from now on. The majority of the estate, including lands and slaves has been awarded to the victim of the attacks, to do as he wishes."

Ichigo couldn't get even a noise out of his throat. He could see his Papa smirking at him, knowing he probably looked a bit like a landed fish but he couldn't understand what happened. "They are free, no longer slaves? Grimmjow and Starrk, no longer mine?"

"That is up to you nephew, do you want to let them go even if they aren't in service to you? They are now free to do what they wish, be with who they wish."

Ichigo blushed at that statement, knowing he hadn't been careful enough, then he realised he'd never be able to keep anything from the older man; he'd known him all his life.

Starrk had paled, and sat trembling as he realised the implications of this. It was every slave's wish, to do something that would free him, but did he want to be free? Did he want to live somewhere else, some little house and have a job?

Ichigo cleared his throat, also having issues with the news but catching on a bit faster than his friend. "Any one they want?"

Yamamoto nodded, smiling at the joy on his nephew's face. He watched as Ichigo held out a hand, prising one of Starrk's away from the other, and lacing them together. "I told you I didn't care who you loved, as long as they loved you too. This just presented itself as a good opportunity around more secrets. Besides, it was actually Chojiro's idea."

Ichigo had become aware of his uncle's relationship with the police commissioner but was keeping it on a need to know basis, and he didn't need to know any details. He slumped back in the sofa, still holding Starrk's hand as he looked at his best friend, lover and now ex-slave.

Szayel knocked lightly, entering and raising his eyebrows at the evident PDA on the sofa before informing his master that Grimmjow had arrived and they needed Ichigo to sign off on his care. Ichigo excused himself, darting out to see his other lover and give him the good news. Out at the turning circle, Grimmjow was strapped to a gurney, his face like thunder at the treatment when he felt okay enough to walk, but he brightened visibly when he saw Ichigo looking so happy. The emotion quickly turned to confusion, and a little bit of fear as Ichigo came straight for him, gripping his hand as he smiled down at him. The promise of more information in a moment, and that it was good news did little to placate the large man, quietly accepting the molly coddling now, just wanting to be left with his master to find out what had happened in the forty five minutes since the noble had left the hospital ahead of him.

Starrk was in his room as well, Ichigo ushering the ambulance technicians out and shutting the door. Grimmjow was lying on his big comfortable bed, arms full of bandaged puppy as he waited to hear the news.

Diesel had been home for a day, his leg on the mend and clear instructions that he was not to jump or run fast for at least five weeks and Szayel had him carried up to the blue haired man's room so the invalids could keep each other company. Grimmjow's face when he'd seen the dog lying on a big cushion on his floor had been a picture, tears diluting the bright blue for a second as he gathered the pup in his arms. The knowledge the dog was fine was nothing compared to inhaling a lungful of his smell. Holding the dog, Grimmjow looked up at his lovers, their smiles both worrying and reassuring at the same time.

"Well you'll have to think of a last name." Ichigo was addressing Starrk but glancing down at Grimmjow occasionally.

"I have one in mind, what about you Grimm, what would your last name be if you could choose it?"

The bluenette frowned, wondering where the question came from. "I don't have a last name, what's going on?"

Ichigo sprung onto the bed, pulling the injured man in for a firm kiss. Starrk joined him on the other side, laying one arm gently round his shoulders, taking care not to bump his bandage.

"Grimm, who has last names?"

"Anyone who isn't a slave?" The bluenette was getting a bit annoyed at the conversation; it didn't make sense to him.

"Right, so if I was to tell you we could pick names, get a house and a job what would that make us?"

Grimmjow's eyes widened and he turned to face the brunette, hands out to grasp his jacket. "Not a slave? How, why?"

Ichigo pulled him back around, running one hand into his hair. "My uncle is grateful for you risking your life for mine, and has granted you freedom, and enough of Aizen's estate for you to start your life, anyway you want."

Grimmjow felt faint, he'd heard of three slaves, ever, getting their freedom and their names were known by every slave. To hear that  _both_  of them were now free would be news for all slaves. But then he realised he was free, and no longer part of this house; he would have to leave and get a job, and live by himself. He pulled away, fear encroaching on his chest. Ichigo traded a look with Starrk, sensing the panic in the other's body. The two men crowded him, pressing their warm bodies on his own.

"You didn't ask what my last name would be." Starrk nuzzled at Grimmjow's ear; who turned his way, the question in his eyes.

"Kurosaki."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Once again in front of his mirror Grimmjow messed with his tie. He'd master the double Windsor a couple of years ago but he didn't think he'd  _ever_  get a bow tie done properly. Nnoitra was just next door and he'd have to nip and get him to help. Looking over the rest of his outfit, he checked he hadn't ripped the expensive fabric, or crushed it. His jacket was still hanging up and his waistcoat was open, the white fabric hanging at the side of his black trousers. He'd heard of black tie before, and had worn it over the last three years since being freed at various events as an escort to Ichigo and Starrk but today called for something more formal, and they had been fitted for their white tie suits a week ago, the black trousers with the satin braid down the legs matching the black jacket with the satin lapels still on the hanger. His shirt was had a ribbed bib and it was his white tie that was causing all the issues. It was hard enough to do the black tie into a bow, the white one blended too well with his shirt and he couldn't get it even at both sides. He gave up and headed next door, leaving his jacket and still padding in his stocking soles.

He knocked lightly, opening the door after a moment to see Nnoitra and Szayel in a grasp on the bed, the pink haired man pressed against the mattress with his shirt open as Nnoitra explored his body with his mouth. Feeling a bit smug, the cook had been responsible for some epic cockblocking over the years; Grimmjow just cleared his throat, leaning against the door frame with his arms crossed over his broad chest. The two men on the bed snapped their heads round to the intruder, Szayel looking murderous but Nnoitra just grinning.

"You joining in Blue?" Nnoitra licked his lips, loving the idea of himself and Grimmjow fucking the living daylights out of Szayel. But he knew it wasn't going to happen, since the three men had got together they had become exclusive, if you can call it that. Nnoitra didn't mind, since seeing them being all fluffy together, Szayel had been wanting more himself and Nnoitra actually considered them in a relationship.

Things had been different in the house, and yet the same. Grimmjow and Starrk's promotion in life had left them all uncertain as to how to proceed, the thought of the men leaving North Ridge had upset everyone, even if Ichigo tried to hide it and encourage them to get out on their own. They had returned to vague normality in that Starrk was employed now to run Ichigo's estate, the same job he'd been doing for years, except now he earned money and could attend meetings in the Lord's stead, making decisions about many things a slave wouldn't be trusted with.

Grimmjow had taken a more custodial role in the house, turning into handy man extraordinaire and working on the cars with Zommari. It was suggested he start a small business to use his skills and make money but he didn't want to be employed by nobles and have to see slaves being treated the way he used to be, the thought of being asked to go and work on an arena or fighters cages would kill him. He did jobs for Ichigo's friends if they asked, refusing payment for anything more than materials. He had built a deck and Japanese garden for Gin, Szayel doing the actual gardening, when the man wanted to give his partner a haven in his house.

Gin and Rangiku's reunion had taken place in North Ridge, Ichigo having gained more slaves than he needed, he'd found some of them new homes within his family, Kisuke taking on a few but most were left as house slaves, to be sold with the property on the market. Ichigo refused to even set foot back in Aizen's home, Starrk taking care of the set up for sale, organising the house and the slaves for viewings and all the paper work. Ichigo had happily accepted the liquid part of Aizen's estate, giving most to charity and using some to refurbish the children's wing at his hospital.

One member of Aizen's household had been adopted into their own. There was a young dark haired boy with huge green eyes, working in the kitchens and had flinched when brought to Ichigo, not only having the instinctual reaction to a master, but knowing what his old master had done to this man, Ichigo's infamous temper leaving him thinking he'd be bearing the brunt of the fury.

The boy was in his late teens, possibly the same age as Ichigo himself but the boy in question wasn't sure. He was short, standing several inches below Ichigo's eye line and was emaciated, his rough clothing hanging off him. His hair hung long and was pulled back into a rough pony tail down his back. It was his eyes that had caught Ichigo's attention, the noble grabbing on to his lover as he watched the slaves getting organised. The green seemed to glow, even though the boy himself was totally expressionless.

His name was Ulquiorra, and he'd worked for Aizen for as long as he could remember. It was Grimmjow that had been able to get him a little bit out of his shell, the blue haired man remembering his battle with his conditioning. The boy was a bit useless with his hands, but tried his best to help, ending up in front of Ichigo more than once for stitches due to his clumsiness. He had found his niche in the house working with Szayel, the pink haired man accepting his help with reluctance but had discovered a budding pastry chef in the young man. Grimmjow was his victim of choice to test his concoctions, the larger man sitting on a bar stool as he was fed endless amounts to help the younger man better his creations. It had been an awkward couple of weeks with Szayel being unsure of the younger man, his tendency to hurt himself could mean endless burns in a kitchen, but after two and a half years, they were now a team, the family eating better than they had ever previously.

Grimmjow had rebuilt the stables, and was busy creating a proper pool house for them, the little changing booths and showers just not good enough in his opinion and Yammy was coming in handy as a second builder. The little house was going to have waterproof furniture and easy clean floors so you could go from pool to inside without ruining anything. It had running showers and a bar on one side so they could have pool parties when it was nice. It was also a little chalet were a couple could stay over, but not in the main house and it was where Gin and Rangiku stayed when they were over.

The red headed woman had shocked them all, Gin had told them she was beautiful, but in the eyes of a lover, it should be no other way. She was tall, and slender with a very well developed chest. Her hair ran down to her waist in waves of sunset orange, a few shades lighter than Ichigo's own. Her face was delicate, with a beauty mark under her lips and clear blue eyes that softened when she smiled. And she smiled a lot, laughing loudly as she spoke to anyone and was well liked in the Kurosaki household quickly.

Gin had arrived after being invited, dressed in his best as usual, a pale grey suit with an upturned collar, black shoe buttons doing right up to the chin, hiding his shirt, and he greeted the slaves as he entered. Shaking hands with Grimmjow as he entered, the two having started a friendship, and the bluenette put a hand behind his back to guide him into the drawing room. They hadn't told the silver haired man that the transfer of ownership had gone through; wanting to surprise him after he'd been such a friend and he thought he was just here for lunch.

Opening the door he entered, pausing as he saw the long red hair over the back of the couch in front of him. The head turned and they both gasped, Rangiku standing with her hand over her mouth. Gin just stood, staring at her like he was drinking her in. Ichigo stood from the opposite couch, grinning widely as his own lover joined him, threading their hands together to watch the reunion. Gin slowly walked round the sofa, almost tiptoeing like he was scared he'd break a spell and she'd disappear or something.

He walked right up to her, standing so she had to crane her head back a bit as he looked right into her eyes, his own wide and shocked looking. He lifted one hand, tracing round her cheek bone, down the side of her face before running it the length of her jaw, ending on her chin. The men across the room clearly saw the crystal tear fall from her eye before she threw her arms around him, his automatically winding around her waist as he closed his eyes, a matching tear running down his face.

Starrk came up on Ichigo's other side, wrapping one of his arms around the smaller man's shoulder before pressing a kiss onto his head, looking up at their third with tenderness. The men left the room via the back door through to the kitchen, not wanting to intrude on the delicate moment any longer. The new couple had joined them for dinner, sitting just around the kitchen table instead of the big dining table the Count would have normally used. It was just like a family dinner, except the table had been extended to seat the extra members. Passing the food from hand to hand to fill their plates, Gin had to keep being nudged to take the serving plates as he had his attention riveted on the woman at his side, the pair having been silent since they joined the others, the family not actually sure if they had even spoken when they were in private. It was the youngest person on the table who had eventually broken their silence.

"Uncle, is that lady going to marry Count Ichimaru?"

The blushing pair had placated the girl, her mother telling her it was cheeky to ask when she didn't even know the lady's name properly but it had got Ichigo thinking. The young noble had spent the rest of the meal drifting off in his mind, having to be reminded to eat several times by various people round the table. The child's question had at least broken the dam on the conversations, Rangiku and Gin finally talking about themselves, and their forbidden relationship.

After dinner they returned to the drawing room, choosing the comfortable sofas to continue their conversations and it wasn't until Gin decided he'd better head home that he realised Ichigo had never joined them, the young noble having not made it to the room. He questioned Starrk about it, who rolled his eyes.

"He's got an idea; don't know what it is yet but it will no doubt be brilliant as usual. He'll be up in the office. Do you want me to just give him your apologies and goodbyes, or do you want to come up and see him?"

Gin had wanted to see the noble himself, and thank him so they headed up, Rangiku staying downstairs with the others. Starrk knocked gently at the door and was asked to come in quickly. Gin followed at his heels and they saw the Lord seated behind his large desk, his computer on and three huge books open at various pages lying over each other as he traced some lines, taking notes in a notepad with one hand, not even looking at the paper. He glanced up to see who had disturbed him, smiling briefly before finishing his work on that passage, capping his pen before standing and facing them.

"I knew you'd be here, are we getting an insight to your latest project, or is it top secret? Gin just wanted to say his goodbyes before heading home for the evening."

Ichigo smirked before looking at his feet, a light blush painting his cheeks. "It's not top secret, but it's a bit complicated and early on to be talking about it, it could be something or nothing at the moment. It was just what Nel said at dinner that got me thinking. I'll let you know if anything comes of it." He smiled wider at Starrk's eye roll before turning to the Count.

Gin looked at his new friend, not knowing what to say so he just wrapped the younger man in a firm bear hug, slapping his back with vigour before just squeezing him. Ichigo coughed, the embrace firmer than any he'd had before, and was probably leaving marks but he returned it the best he could. Gin released a moment later, eyes open and moist.

"How can I ever thank you for what you have done for me? I didn't think I would ever get her back, let alone get to take her home."

"You will have to be careful, we can give you some notes on living like this and you are both always welcome here, together or separately if you need somewhere to escape to and just be yourselves. And Tia and Ran have become friends so expect her at your house as well. Just be happy, I don't need any thanks for what I have done, because I didn't do anything."

"Is he always like this?" Gin turned to Starrk, jerking a thumb towards the younger man. Starrk just nodded, gesturing to the Count to leave the room. Starrk just left with a wink to his lover, getting a vague wave as the younger man went back to his work. Starrk showed Gin and Rangiku out to Gin's Lamborghini with Grimmjow helping with the luggage and Tia coming to embrace her friend before she left, promising that they'd go shopping soon, as if the three big bags Ichigo had already paid for wasn't enough already.

As they watched the car speed away Grimmjow grasped Starrk's hand, the pair heading inside together. Knowing their third would not be coming out of his office again before bed, they decided to indulge themselves in each other, both enjoying the vigorous sessions they could have when their delicate lover wasn't involved. Not that Ichigo would appreciate being called delicate but they left each other with bruises sometimes, who knows what state Ichigo would be in if he was involved.

Their clothes were left in a trail from Starrk's door right up to his bed, their underwear dropped right at the side. Both men were hard as rails when they knelt up on the bed, the fight for dominance starting as soon as they had entered the room. Grimmjow used his greater strength to pin Starrk to the bed, aligning their cocks and grinding with the older man, swallowing his moans as he smirked through the kisses. Grimmjow hooked one of Starrk's legs over his shoulder as he ran his hands all over the other, ending with his fingers tickling over the sensitive hole he was eager to sink into. Neither had a preference for topping but there was a running tally over who won and the fight got them both going. Grimmjow was just as likely to be the taker even if he won the fight for dominance, enjoying sinking down around Starrk's member as he rode the older man. This time he was going to be the giver and he plunged his finger through the tight muscle as he pulled a whine out of the man. He fumbled the small bottle off the night stand, pulling his hand up to slather it before thrusting two inside, not wanting to hurt his lover but willing to push him to an extent. He got three in, his other hand caressing the upper chest of his lover as he peppered the other side with little nips and kisses, paying attention to his nipples knowing it drove the man nuts.

Feeling like his lover was loose enough he pulled his aching member up, coating it with the lube before sheathing himself fully, holding for a moment before setting a punishing pace, the man under him crowing as his prostate was struck, his dick splattering precum as is bounced with the vigorous thrusts. Grimmjow grabbed it, holding it firmly as he pushed into the body, gripping the base to prolong the pleasure.

He dropped the leg off his shoulder, flipping the brunette over, laying him flat so he could slip in, the tight ass cheeks rubbing over his length. He literally fucked him into the bed, the friction of the harsh thrusts rubbing Starrk's dick on the covers. The brunette cried out, needing more stimulation and Grimmjow knelt up on the bed, not pulling out as he dragged his lover up. He just gripped the slim hips in one arm, holding the throbbing dick in the other as he fucked him hard, Starrk coming harshly, his cum sailing through the air in front of them. Grimmjow then used both his hands to hold Starrk's hips still so he could seek his own end, his end coming with a hoarse scream and dropping them both to the bed.

Starrk took major advantage over the pleasure struck man and flipped him, dragging his hips up into his favourite prep position. Grimmjow was unmoving after his orgasm, sensation coming back quickly as a hot, wet tongue slipped in his ass, the strong little muscle delving and finding all the right places before it was replaced by long, questing fingers. Grimmjow didn't think he'd get another hard on again after his last release but he felt it sneaking up on him as Starrk crooked his fingers over his prostate. He didn't expect any mercy from the other man after he's been so forceful and he wasn't disappointed as the thick cock plunged into him, Starrk leaning over, forcing his upper body more into the bed. Starrk was ruthless, his aim perfect and he brought out moans and cries with every thrust, his hands rubbing soothingly all over his mount's body, everywhere except to the heavy organ between his legs. He cupped the balls at its base, and Grimmjow nearly screamed with frustration, his hips meeting each of the firm thrusts. Eventually Starrk took pity on him and he gripped the weeping dick, stroking it in time with his thrusts, timing a little twist with his strike of the pleasure button inside the man.

Grimmjow had cum all over the bed covers, whining and groaning in pleasure as Starrk found completion in his body moments later. When they eventually moved, they stripped the bed, grabbing a pair of sleep shorts each before moving into Ichigo's room, the noble still not in bed. They had drifted off in each other's arms, glad the younger man wasn't there expecting any action, they had nothing left.

It was the project Ichigo had thought of back then that led to this formal even this evening, them having to attend the Liege Lord's palace this evening decked out in full white tie, Tia and Nel in gowns; the little girl had loved getting a proper gown as fitting her rank, tiara and all after Ichigo took them all shopping.

Three years in the making, and the young Lord stressing all the way. His blood disorder was kind of under control, the new treatment he began the day he was shot was working to let him drive and work part time, but he was still bruising the same. His vision had been to change the world, even just a little bit and he'd used every bit of stubbornness bred into him to get his way. His uncle had helped, well relented really and the solution to the problem had come to them through Kisuke, the ceremony for which was happening tonight.

Nnoitra had pulled himself away from his lover with a grumble, grin still in place as he adjusted his clothes, his own tie still loose and hanging down the sides of his neck, his shirt mostly done up except for at the top. Szayel sat up on the bed and started to re-dress himself, smoothing the creases out of his shirt, the expensive fabric being more forgiving than their usual shirts.

It took Nnoitra seconds to tie Grimmjow's bowtie, pulling on it a bit harshly at the end in retaliation to the interruption before doing his own, black long tie turning perfect even though he wasn't using a mirror. The three men left the room after that seeking out their companions who all should be ready by now.

 _Should_  was the magic word after all; the ladies were waiting in the drawing room, Tia gorgeous in a fishtail black lace dress that left her arms bare. A pair of white satin gloves came up over her elbows that matched the clutch handbag under her arm. Little Nel was fussing with the white satin bow on her navy dress, the tulle skirt flowing to her knees leaving her little white shoes on show. Yammy was seated dressed in a formal suit, not in white tie, that was saved for the noble and the freemen attending, not working. Barrigan was the only one not attending, he had pleaded off due to not enjoying big events and Ichigo wouldn't press anyone who didn't want to come. Zommari was coming, and little Ulquiorra because they wanted to see the outcome of their master's plans after watching him toil over them for three years.

The town car was all shined up, the Mercedes just behind it. Grimmjow was driving the white Audi R8 with Ichigo as a passenger because they didn't all fit in the other cars, and the two petrol heads loved the fast engine. Starrk was offered the back seat, but said he'd rather just escort the ladies in the town car, not wanting to squeeze into the three door car.

They all eventually arrived in the entrance way, Barrigan seeing them off before going to enjoy his evening alone and they filtered into the cars, heading for the palace. Valets met them at the entrance and they entered, Ichigo in the lead in his magnificent white tie suit, the colour bands of his rank across his chest under the waist coat making him stand out from the rest of the group. Dark red and black striped fabric, repeated three times not only marked his name, the colours, but his high rank, the thickness. Grimmjow and Starrk were at his sides, and the rest formed up behind them, Nel holding on to Tia's hand just behind her uncle. Ichigo was welcomed warmly by various nobles on his way in, Renji being enthusiastic and Orihime being shy. Since he'd openly joined with Grimmjow and Starrk, the two men taking his last name as they were married in front of his uncle, he'd forever taken himself off the market to all the young ladies and that had been a sad day for some.

Yamamoto had been more than happy to confirm the union of the three men, unusual but since he was basically the king, who was going to argue and he himself had danced with his lover, Police Commissioner Chojiro Sasakibe at the reception. The event had been a small one, held at North Ridge with only a few of Ichigo's friends and his adoptive parents of course. His biological father had sent him a congratulations card and a gift for the wedding, but Ichigo had not opened it, Starrk sending a generic thank you in politeness.

Starrk and Grimmjow had let their curiosity get the better of them and they had slit the package open with a sharp blade one day when their lover was at work. It was a large flat box with a deep blue velvet cover. Opening it they was the locket lying on a bed of cream silk, the metal larger than a woman would wear around her neck, more like a male would use with a pocket watch. It had a knot design on the front and when they popped it open, there was a picture of a beautiful red haired woman with a toddler in her arms, his hair brighter than hers. They could see their lover in the child's face, and spotted the likeness of their little niece there as well. A card stuck in the lid of the box was hand written and signed by the absent father, wishing his son a world of happiness, and saying if Ichigo could be half as happy as Masaki had made him, he was a lucky man.

The men had taken the locket to a watch smith and had him use the front face with the picture, to make a watch for the stubborn man, knowing he'd never open the present himself, the box retaped and placed back in the sideboard in the lord's bedroom. The gift was in Starrk's jacket pocket for this evening, hoping to give it to the man later after the ceremony.

They were ushered into a large function room, the colours of the Liege Lord round the room, the same red as Ichigo claimed with a thin, deep blue stripe alternating with the black. The young lord and his husbands made their way to the front, the rest of the household having to watch from the back, as due their rank. There was no resentment in the others of the house, all glad the men could be with each other in public.

Ichigo sat in his fairly uncomfortable chair in the front row, his handsome lovers to his left, Starrk sitting right next to him. He was nervous, he had decided to bid for this after extensive research into the history of their society and his uncle had been good enough to indulge him in the use of his historians and lawyers until collectively they found the only way to change what had to be changed, was to start with the trouble maker himself, Ichigo starting all of it.

His uncle stood at the front, speaking in his deep voice as he introduced the event, and its purpose. Ichigo actually tuned him out for a moment, not able to hear his work being discussed without blushing. His name was called and he stood, walking over to the front of the room and facing his uncle. He was asked to kneel, and he dropped, one leg tucked under him as he looked up at the one man who'd loved him his whole life. The wizened hand rested on his shoulder before it pulled him up, holding out the braid for him to take, replacing the one currently round his chest with an even thicker one, this time a direct copy of the room's decoration.

The other occupants rose from their seats, intoning the respect for him clearly, Ichigo losing the fight to control his blush.

"Hail, Prince Kurosaki."

_iiiiiiiii_

The only one with the power to change the laws was the ruler of the lands, or his heir. When Ichigo had come to his uncle saying it was unfair, how some person could end up in service their whole life and have no way to escape it. He intended to make it so a noble could release their slaves, if they were willing to set them up in life so they wouldn't be a burden on the state and it would also mean the workforce would increase, the economy would do better and a lot of people would be happier. Not all of course, it would mean a reshape of their lives, arenas and fighting slaves would probably be a thing of the past but Ichigo could see a better future. This was why Yamamoto had decided to take Ichigo as his heir, instead of just passing the law himself. For this to come about, a younger, more enthusiastic man would be needed, one who would live long enough to see it through.

And all because one little girl asked if a nice lady was going to marry her man.

Gin knew about Ichigo's plan, and had been overwhelmed that it was his situation that made the Lord work hard, but once he'd started he saw how this could really improve things, and was ready to make the changes.

Starrk was ready to catch his lover after the event, Ichigo going into an antechamber to change his stripes. Grimmjow was just closing the door when the younger man's knees went, Starrk having a handkerchief ready in case of a nose bleed. It was a stressful hour for the Lord, and his skin had paled slightly. He had managed to gain the weight his doctor had demanded, and had kept it on to keep himself from being technically underweight but he still had his slim figure, gaining more muscle mass as his body developed into his mid-twenties. He'd never be as built as Grimmjow but he was stronger and felt better in himself.

The two men held him for a moment, trying to give him a bit of strength through them to get him through the night.

And the night stretched on, people coming up and bowing to him, ladies curtsying and gushing over his change of status. Baron Tousen approached him but Ichigo didn't even stop walking, refusing to pass even the time of day with the man. He'd never been charged in connection to the attack but Ichigo knew he'd been aware of it and knew his new system would impact on the other man strongly. He couldn't quite bring himself to care however.

Aizen had been the one to bear the full charges of the attack, the judge landing him with more than a life sentence to be served in service to the state, basically a slave, for eighty years or until he died, whichever came first. Ichigo hadn't been interested in what the man's assignment was, but Nnoitra had found out, and shared it with the rest of the family, Gin included. The high and mighty lord Aizen was now highly involved in mining, spending most of his days under the ground working to clear the pit rubbish so the actual miners could dig deeper. The chances of him living to the end of his sentence, even if that were possible, were very slim.

Ichigo fell asleep in the town car on the way home, Grimmjow taking Nnoitra in the Audi just for fun and Szayel drove the Mercedes home. The young lord had wanted to just curl up, and the luxury car would be more comfortable and Starrk would be there to snuggle with.

The brunette had his arms full of sleepy prince as the entered the home, Barrigan smiling down when he saw the promotion in his braid, the young man grinning in return.

Up in his room, Ichigo started stripping down, dumping the expensive formal suit onto the sofa to deal with it in the morning. He was standing in his boxers, the white fabric riding up as he stretched his body out, the pops and creaks in his back feeling very satisfying. The door opened as he finished stretching, Grimmjow entering and instantly having a feral grin on his face. Walking up to the young noble he wrapped his long arms around him, pulling him in for a long, slow kiss, mapping out Ichigo's mouth with his own tongue. Ichigo responded enthusiastically, holding his lover tightly, tracing his long fingers over the toned and hard body. He started to strip off the other man's clothes, tossing them to join his own until they were both in their underwear, Grimmjow turning them so he could press Ichigo onto the back of the couch, bringing the long, lean legs around his waist. Both felt the excitement in the other's body as their groins touched, matching moans getting swallowed at the same time. Grimmjow dropped his head, sucking at the other man's ear lobe before licking and nipping his way down the pale neck, sinking his teeth into his shoulder muscle gently. Ichigo just writhed under him, grasping at his shoulders. Grimmjow sank to his knees, looking up as he peeled the tight boxers off, Ichigo's length firm and ready. He swiped his tongue up, bringing out a gasp before he swallowed it down, still unable to deep throat him at this angle. He took him as far as he could, humming as he sank down to intensify the feeling. Ichigo sat with his legs spread, one heel up on the couch back and his hands spread out to support himself.

It was just like this that Starrk walked into, seeing Ichigo with his head dropped back and his eyes closed and Grimmjow between his legs.

"Starting without me? How rude." Starrk grinned, undressing himself as he approached them. He knelt on the couch seat behind Ichigo, pulling the younger man against his chest as he fondled the other's body, pulling at the nipples and tickling along his sides. He pulled Ichigo's head up, exposing his neck to his lips, and he sucked on the skin, leaving marks but there were no plans to leave the house the next day anyway. He ran one hand through their third's bright blue hair, drawing his gaze up, and he winked at the brunette as he continued to stimulate the noble. Starrk sent one questing finger south, down the lean back to the dip between his ass cheeks, pressing under until he felt the little pucker under the pad of his index finger. He knew he couldn't penetrate from this angle, but he could certainly play, teasing the outer muscle until Ichigo came with a scream into Grimmjow's mouth, the man swallowing him down. Grimmjow sat up and was pulled in for a harsh kiss by Starrk, the other licking all traces of the noble out of his mouth.

"Cumslut." Grimmjow grinned at the brunette who just shrugged with a grin on his face.

Ichigo was lifted, Starrk turning him so he could kiss the younger man as he carried him to the bed, throwing him down as they approached. Grimmjow was there in a heartbeat and the two older men worshiped their prince's body, Ichigo moaning out at the attention. Grimmjow pulled the younger man onto his chest, the pair lying entwined and exploring each other's mouths. Starrk didn't waste any time in drawing the younger man's hips up and getting his own tongue involved, his hands drifting over the two sets of balls under him as well as the stiff members. Ichigo hadn't been long in coming back again and he groaned into Grimmjow's mouth, the blue haired man using his hands to bring him pleasure as well.

Starrk was using three fingers inside him fairly quickly, the brunette eager to move things along, but knew his plan needed the younger man fully stretched. Ichigo had spread his legs out a bit so his dick was coming in contact with Grimmjow's as he thrusted back onto the fingers inside him. Starrk drew his little finger into the centre of his hand and twisted the hand round, sinking in till his knuckles were sucked in, stopping at his thumb joint and crooking them round. Ichigo buried his head in Grimmjow's chest, unable to think with the sensations in his body. Starrk judged him ready, pulling the noble up against his chest as Starrk aligned Grimmjow's dick with his entrance, Ichigo sliding down enthusiastically, moaning loudly as he hilted, circling his hips to adjust. That made Grimmjow grab at him, his throbbing dick having to deal with the hot tight cavern around him. Ichigo remained upright for a moment, using his strong thighs to bounce on the dick under him, Starrk's arms around his chest as the older man nibbled on his neck. Ichigo was soon bent over, allowing Grimmjow to thrust up, the blue haired man gripping the narrow hips as tightly as he dared to get the stimulation he desired. Starrk knelt one leg either side of Ichigo's legs, rubbing a hand over his swollen member. He slicked it up before laying it on the smooth back in front of him, pressing it down to the filled hole in front of him. Ichigo cried out at the sensation, arching is back to bring his entrance up more, almost begging to be taken by the older man as well. Starrk wasn't one to refuse his lover and he gripped his member, pressing it in gently, sucking in a deep breath as the heat surrounded him. He could feel Grimmjow's dick throbbing next to his, and didn't need to look to know he'd be gritting his teeth. This position meant Starrk was doing most of the work; the other's unable to move under him.

Grimmjow came first, his jet hitting Ichigo's pleasure button sending the youngest man off which in turn drew Starrk's orgasm out.

They landed in a pile, all out of breath as they clung to each other. Grimmjow tried to stretch a bit, pulling out and he looked round to see a large grey head peeking round the arch, staring at the men with interest. Diesel had free reign of the house but spent time with his grandmother in Ichigo's room a lot and had taken to watching the men in their sexcapades, something that Ichigo disliked but didn't bother anyone else.

The men had a quick clean up, the sheets dumped in the corner of the room as clean ones were put on and they fell into their sleep, Grimmjow in the middle with his arms around his lovers. The two men were holding hands over his chest, Starrk fiddling with Ichigo's wedding ring.

He pulled something out from under his pillow, holding it in his clasped hand for a second, Ichigo sitting up and frowning at him sleepily.

"What's that?"

"It's the wedding present from your dad."

Ichigo's frown deepened, knowing it wasn't from Kisuke; he'd given them something much larger. "I didn't open the gift from Isshin."

"I know, we did." Starrk didn't have any regret or guilt in his voice. "We had this made for you." He held out the chain, the round watch spinning on the end. Ichigo looked like he wasn't going to take it for a second, but Grimmjow rubbed a soothing hand over his back and he reached for it. The pocket watch on the silver chain with the little fob at the end had the knot pattern on its door, Ichigo pressing the button to flick it open, eyes filling at the image of him and his mother in the housing. At the brunette's insistence, he closed the watch and flicked it over, seeing an inscription on the back.

" _No one is ever forgotten, if they were loved"_

Ichigo clutched the watch, the image inside in his mind as he closed his eyes, tears rolling down his face. He would never forget his mother; she taught him what love was, allowing him to love the men with him.


End file.
